Youth wing of Sri Lanka opposition party says proposed leadership training is illegal

The National Youth Front, the youth wing of Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party ( UNP), says the government's proposed leadership training programme for university students in military camps is illegal.


Head of the Front's education committee, Dhammika Wickremarachchi told a press conference today that there was no provision for the government to initiate such a programme under the Universities Act.

He says that the government's move would hamper the democratic environment in the country's university system.

He pointed out that the list of things the students have been asked to bring with them to participate in the leadership training programme clearly indicated that it was going to be military training.

According to Wickremarachchi, healthy debates and exchanging of ideas taking place in universities would be converted into confrontations in future following the military training.