“I am deeply saddened by the unjust violence that has been executed against a number of students. I sincerely ask for pardon from my sons, daughters, sisters, and brothers who walk towards a glimmering future with hope,” read the statement from Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) co-chair Bafel Talabani on Tuesday.
He pledged to make “immense changes” and “resolve the shortcomings,” adding that they “will work closer with the youth and students.”
Student protests began a week ago at the University of Sulaimani and were met with a crackdown as police used electric batons to disperse the crowd. But the protests continued, growing in size every day and spreading to other cities and towns across the Kurdistan Region over the week and security forces used tear gas and water cannons to quell the demonstrations. There were also reports that forces used live ammunition.
An aide to Talabani, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Rudaw English that the apology was made on the request of a group of students who had a long closed-door meeting with the PUK leader on Sunday.
At least one security force member accused of using force is in custody.
“As per the request of the students and upon orders of both Bafel Talabani and Qubad Talabani, the man that kicked the student in the head has been arrested and is still in detention,” the source said. A video, that went viral on social media, show a group of security forces detaining a student protester. One of the security members kicked the student in the head.
The protests began with students demanding restoration of a living allowance. The government used to pay a monthly stipend of 40,000 to 100,000 dinars ($27 - $67) per student. It was one of the expenses the government cut when it introduced austerity measures like salary cuts to cope with the financial crisis caused by the war with the Islamic State (ISIS), low oil prices, and budget disputes with Baghdad. Without the funds, some students have problems buying food or paying for accommodation.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) decided on Wednesday to allocate additional funding for the ministry of higher education to improve dormitories, among other items. But the allowance is just the start of a long list of grievances. Students said they also want to see education reform and de-politicization of university campuses.
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also had a sit-down with students, saying he "heard your calls for more jobs and fairness in the economy."
