VZCZCXRO5005
RR RUEHBI RUEHCI
DE RUEHLM #0683/01 1161038
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261038Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3229
INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 9554
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 6578
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA 0163
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 4483
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 3051
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 9138
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2123
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 2966

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000683 
 
SIPDIS 
 
REFTEL:  Colombo 0428 
 
SCA/PPD; SCA/INS; INR/SCA 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV SCUL SOCI KPAO CE
SUBJECT:  Jaffna University Students Also Suffering From 
Political Conflict 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary.  More than most university students in 
Sri Lanka, the approximately 5,000 students currently 
studying at Jaffna University have felt the impact of the 
ongoing political tensions in missed classes, low funding, 
and deteriorating academic standards.  This formerly 
prestigious university has suffered in recent years from 
LTTE intimidation, either directly or indirectly, including 
the recent rejection by the LTTE-backed student union of 
the appointment of a respected professor as Vice- 
Chancellor.  While it is unclear whether the current 
situation can improve without a simultaneous improvement in 
the national political scene, several innovative programs 
may provide other outlets for students seeking higher 
education in Northern Sri Lanka.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)   During the past four months, the University of 
Jaffna, (with approximately 5,000 students) has witnessed 
political protests, enforced boycotts of classes, voluntary 
withdrawal of all non-Tamil students and strong opposition 
to a new Presidentially-appointed Vice Chancellor (Reftel). 
The ongoing political strife and violence affecting the 
region have hampered administration of the University and 
reduced student opportunities.  Problems regarding graduate 
retention, funding, and administration continue to grow and 
are exacerbated by the main student organizations that 
focus on political rather than academic concerns.   Led by 
the LTTE-influenced Jaffna University Student Union (JUSU), 
students in Jaffna began a boycott of classes in December 
2005, demanding that Sri Lankan Army (SLA) forces be 
stationed away from the University campus. (Note: SLA 
forces are stationed approximately 200 yards from campus. 
End note)  Student protestors clashed with SLA soldiers on 
several occasions, resulting in injuries to University 
students and administrators.  As a result of this violence, 
and other pressures, the small cohort of 70 Sinhalese and 
Muslim students (less than 2 percent of total enrollment) 
attending the University requested and received transfers 
to other universities.  After the Sri Lankan government and 
the LTTE completed their first round of ceasefire 
implementation talks in Geneva in late February, 2006, 
students backed down from their demand about the location 
of SLA forces and classes began again in early March, thus 
indicating the extent to which campus politics mirror 
national events.   Since the mid-1980s, the University has 
consistently experienced disruption of classes due to 
rising political tensions in Jaffna.  Over the years, this 
pattern has left the University deficient in several 
important aspects. 
 
Graduate Retention, Funding and Administration 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Formerly one of the leading universities in Sri 
Lanka, the University of Jaffna?s prestige has declined due 
to the political pressures and periodic violence affecting 
all of the Jaffna peninsula.  According to the University 
Grants Commission (UGC), the university has seen its 
student intake drop by nearly ten percent during the past 
five years.  For the same time period, student intake has 
increased for the top three Sri Lankan universities. 
Furthermore, students of the University are not likely to 
remain in Jaffna after graduation, instead often seeking 
employment in Colombo or abroad.  The Jaffna region finds 
itself in an unfortunate cycle:  without attractive 
employment options, graduates who could contribute to the 
local economy do not remain, leaving the region short of 
educated professionals who could generate prosperous 
employment opportunities. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Jaffna University also lacks for funds due to 
the low level of income generated by its post-graduate 
degree programs. In other Sri Lankan universities, post- 
graduate schools charge significant fees from their 
students.  Jaffna?s Faculty of Graduate Studies, offering 
nine post-graduate degree programs with over 400 current 
students, cannot charge as much in the way of fees because 
of low demand for entry into the faculty.  These graduate 
masters and doctoral programs are the only source of 
additional income for the University. Some administrators 
 
COLOMBO 00000683  002 OF 003 
 
 
believe that additional funding would be available if 
requested from the UGC (the body that allocates funds among 
the universities), but since the overall number of students 
has decreased recently, the UGC is less likely to approve 
funding increases for the future.  In the current security 
climate and without a source of additional revenue, the 
University faces difficulties in obtaining the same caliber 
of teachers and resources as universities that do generate 
large tuition-based revenue.  (Note:  The UGC?s allocation 
to Jaffna University, on a per pupil basis, matches that of 
other Sri Lankan universities.  End note) 
 
¶5. (SBU) The political volatility in the region has made 
dynamic administrators hesitant to join the University. 
The recent troubled appointment of a new Vice Chancellor 
serves as a prime example (Reftel).  Ratnajeevan Hoole, a 
former professor in the U.S. and one of Jaffna University?s 
top choices, was appointed Vice Chancellor by President 
Rajapaksa in March 2006.  The Dean of the Faculty of 
Graduate Studies and another candidate for Vice Chancellor, 
Professor K. Kandasamy, said that most of the University 
staff view Hoole as the appropriate person to fill the 
vacant Vice Chancellor position. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Despite Hoole?s credentials, the JUSU opposed his 
appointment, accusing him of being an anti-Tamil 
nationalist and a traitor to the LTTE cause. The LTTE 
strongly warned him against coming to Jaffna.  Harsha 
Aturupane, senior education economist at the World Bank, 
said the threat from the LTTE is very real, particularly 
since several high school principals have been targeted in 
the Jaffna region recently.  The Chairman of the UGC told 
us recently that Hoole, fearing for his life, has decided 
to take leave and reside abroad until the storm over his 
appointment dies down, at which time he will probably 
resign and may take a position on the UGC. However, other 
sources tell CAO that Hoole may seek asylum in Singapore. 
 
Students Lack Unbiased Voice 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Faced with these problems, the student body, 
instead of working together with the administration to take 
steps towards improvement, has been cowed by the LTTE- 
backed student union, which focuses almost exclusively on 
political concerns.  Professor Hoole  told us several 
students have reported that because they do not come from 
the LTTE-controlled Vanni region of the North, they have 
been intimidated from running for leadership positions and 
cannot get on the student union ballot.  Furthermore, he 
stated there have been reports of impostors taking the 
place of entering students for the purpose of influencing 
university decisions and making the campus a platform for 
furthering LTTE-related goals.  (Comment:  In fact, campus 
life in most of Sri Lanka?s 14 other universities is 
dominated by politics, creating a hostile atmosphere for 
non-political students.  In most of the other universities, 
the dominating political force is the pro-Sinhala, 
Buddhist, nationalist Janatha Vimukti Peramuna (JVP). End 
Comment.) 
 
New Programs Have Promise 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  In light of the difficulties facing the 
University of Jaffna, three programs show promise for 
improving Jaffna?s higher education system.  The nationwide 
World Bank program ?Improving Relevance and Quality of 
Undergraduate Education? (IRQUE) has several projects in 
Jaffna aimed at raising the caliber of education through 
teacher training and better allocation of resources.  The 
Asian Development Bank funds the ?Post-Secondary Education 
and Modernization Project? intended to improve the quality 
of education and facilities in the region.  In addition, 
the government?s Open University offers distance-learning 
courses that are growing in popularity throughout the 
country.  Open University coursework may be the answer for 
students living in troubled areas like Jaffna since they 
could continue their education far from a campus rife with 
 
COLOMBO 00000683  003 OF 003 
 
 
political upheaval.  However, until these projects and the 
Open University begin to reach substantially more students 
in Jaffna, young scholars in the northern Jaffna Peninsula 
will continue to suffer from a university in decline, 
hostage to the political vicissitudes of the country at 
large. 
 
Lunstead