Teachers of Sri Lanka's Jaffna University to boycott classes until all arrested students released

Teachers attached to Sri Lanka's Jaffna University will boycott classes as a mark of protest demanding the release of university students who are still in police custody. The Jaffna University Teachers' Union said that although seven out of the 11 students who were arrested by the Terrorism Investigations Department (TID) have been released the teachers would continue with their protest campaign until all students are released. The Union said the teachers would return to work only after all students have been released. University activities came to a standstill after police arrested 11 Jaffna University students and handed them to the TID following a clash on November 27th where the students tried to commemorate the Martyr Day of the defeated terrorist group LTTE. Union President R. Vigneswaran has said university teachers were informed that the university general body would meet and decide if teachers should return to work or continue to stay away until the other four students were released. "We will stay away from work even if students come for lessons," he has said.