University students in the north want the burning issues of Tamils included if they are to support struggles in the south.
IUSF convener Wasantha Mudalige was in Jaffna at the weekend to gain a firsthand understanding of public issues there.
The Jaffna University’s students union put forward 10 main demands during talks with him.
When Mudalige raised as to why the north did not support struggles in the south against the PTA, student leader Alagarasa Vijayakumar replied the draconian law was just one of their many issues.
Under continuing repression since 1948, Tamils face land, political, freedom of expression issues, racism, militarization etc., he said, adding that they needed a persistent intervention on their behalf.
The IUSF convener called for a combined and well-organized involvement and a struggle over real issues faced by all without remaining divided any further.
The issues highlighted by the northern students include recognition of northeastern Tamils as a distinct community with one language, religion and culture and the area as their homeland.
Also among them are the right to autonomy, self-determination, while holding an internationally-supervised referendum for Tamils to determine their political future, justice over genocide against Tamils, war crimes and enforced disappearances are also included.
An immediate withdrawal of the military from the two provinces, releasing Tamil land, abolition of the sixth amendment to the constitution to ensure political space for Tamils and repealing the PTA and the unconditional release of Tamil political prisoners are the others.
