Undergraduates of Tamil ethnicity in the Sabaragamuwa University have expressed concerns over the safety of their lives following a brutal attack on one of their colleagues and threats issued against Tamil students over leaflets put up in the hostel premises.

Shanthikumar Sudharshan – resident of Kilinochchi and a first year undergraduate of the Sabaragamuwa University had been attacked early Sunday (3) morning by a group of five masked men. Sudharshan’s colleagues had found him few hours later unconscious, with cut wounds on his body, severe blunt force trauma to his head and rags stuffed into his mouth.

The incident had occurred in the ‘Shantha Bandara’ hostel premises that accommodate only first year students while the Defense Ministry managed university security service – Rakna Lanka officials were present. During the investigations into the incident however, they have claimed they neither saw nor heard anything suspicious.

Notices containing threats to Tamil students had also been put up in the hostel premises the same night ordering all Tamil students to leave the premises within the next 10 days. The notice states those who dare defy the order would be shot to death and any females will be raped. These threats have escalated the climate of fear that prevails among students of Tamil ethnicity in the Sabaragamuwa University.

Students say this is not the first instance of anti-Tamil sentiments have been propagated within the University. A similar incident had occurred on July 11 where notices containing racist statement against those of Tamil ethnicity had been strewn around the university.