‘Aragalaya’ activists travel to Beliatta to protest arrests under PTA

A group of activists of the ‘Aragalaya’ protest movement have commenced a journey from Fort to Beliatta railway station by train this morning (Oct 23), demanding the release of Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) convenor Wasantha Mudalige and Ven. Galwewa Siridhamma Thero who have been detained under detention orders. 

Several representatives from the IUSF, civil organizations and other activists of the ‘Aragalaya’ protest movement had joined the protest campaign, Ada Derana reporter said.

Accordingly, after reaching the Beliatta railway station, they will reportedly travel towards the Tangalle prison, where Wasantha Mudalige and Ven. Galwewa Siridhamma Thero are detained.

Joining the protest, activist Lahiru Weerasekara stated that the 22nd Constitutional Amendment has been passed by the majority vote in the Parliament, whereas some people think that democracy can be won with them, whilst a young man and a young monk have been imprisoned for more than two months using a law which is not accepted anywhere else in the world. 

“Today we will start from Fort railway station and go to Tangalle to express a symbolic protest”, he added.

“If the government is thinking of suppressing the ‘Aragalaya’ of the people in this way, we say that each day that Ven. Siridhamma Thero and Wasantha are detained, we will go village by village to deliver the message of wave of general public struggle all over the country.”