The Students' Union of the Sri Jayewardenepura University today threatened to launch a protest campaign aganist the adminstration's decision to debar 18 students, who were earlier suspended over a clash with Internal Security officers, from sitting the ongoing exams that started today, sources said.

Eighteen students were suspended over a clash with security officers on February 24 within the  university hostel premises.

“The argument had erupted after security personnel entered the hostels and provoked the students who were under severe stress largely due to continuous internal issues in the university,” University’s Students’ Union President Sampath Wickramasinghe said.

He said the administration had suspended 18 students whom it thought were responsible and then had prevented them from facing today’s examination without prior notice.

Eight students have been prevented from sitting today’s exam and the entire group of 18 students are to be barred from sitting tomorrow’s examination, he said.

“We will launch a continuous protest campaign and Satyagraha against the administration if it prevents these 18 students from facing tomorrow’s examination,” he said. (Sanath  Desmond & Lahiru Pothmulla)