By Asian Marxist Review (AMR)
The Revolutionary Students’ Union (RSU) of Sri Lanka has issued a statement condemning the ongoing state repression in Jammu Kashmir and expressing solidarity with the mass movement led by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).
In its statement, the RSU criticised the authorities for responding to the movement through curfews, communication restrictions, the use of live ammunition, mass arrests, and other coercive measures. The organisation argued that these actions have intensified the political crisis in the region rather than addressing the underlying economic and democratic grievances raised by the movement.
The Sri Lankan student organisation described the JAAC as a broad-based mass movement that has mobilised workers and oppressed communities around economic and democratic demands. According to the statement, instead of engaging with these demands, the authorities launched a widespread crackdown beginning on 5 June, accompanied by internet and mobile network disruptions, raids, surveillance, and arrests aimed at suppressing the movement.
The RSU also referred to the resistance that emerged in Rawalakot, where protesters maintained sit-ins despite repeated attempts to disperse them. It condemned the use of force against demonstrators during the events of 27–28 July, stating that security forces opened fire on protesters participating in the long march towards Rawalakot, resulting in significant casualties.
The statement further alleged that restrictions on the movement of food, medical supplies, and access to healthcare had compounded the humanitarian situation in the region. It characterised these measures as collective punishment directed against the population.
The Revolutionary Students’ Union called for an immediate end to the repression, the withdrawal of paramilitary and security forces from the streets, the restoration of internet and communication services, unrestricted access to food and medical assistance, the release of political prisoners and detained activists, and an independent investigation into the reported killings.
Concluding its statement, the RSU expressed solidarity with the people of Jammu Kashmir and called on workers’ organisations, student movements, and anti-imperialist forces internationally to support the struggle for democratic rights. The organisation argued that the movement in Jammu Kashmir has become an important expression of popular resistance against repression and urged the international labour and student movements to continue building solidarity with it.
