News

Public Security Minister tells police not to drop their guard against possible revival of Islamic terrorists

Published

5 years ago

2021/09/4

By Saman Indrajith and Norman Palihawadane

Public Security Minister Rear Admiral (retd) Sarath Weerasekera has called on police to be vigilant of possible revival of Islamic terrorists, while attending to COVID-19 prevention operations.

Addressing a meeting of senior DIGs and DIGs via zoom on Thursday, the Minister insisted that the police should not let their guard down just because they have been asked to attend the COVID-19 prevention operations.

“The police have to be extra vigilant of possible Islamic terrorist groups to ensure internal security in the country. We know that the police rendered a valuable service in getting rid of the LTTE that had been a major threat to the internal security. However, the scenario is now different because we no longer fight with an easily identifiable enemy. ISIS is an ideology and it is not an easy task to identify the persons who have been indoctrinated. Only the common sign of such people is that they become isolated from others first but later walk on the path from extremism to terrorism. This could be countered but we need the utmost vigilance of the policemen to fight against this latest threat,” the Minister said.

The Minister thanked the policemen who rendered a dedicated service in the government’s battle against the pandemic. “As per the records, 11,700 police personnel got infected by the virus while discharging their duties and 28 of them died. While fighting against the virus, the police continued to carry out raids and their fight against the underworld without letting the latter to raise its head again. We have two special investigation teams under the supervision of senior DIG crimes. One of them is attending to the affairs pertaining to the underworld activities and the other is working against the drug menace. Both teams have shown impressive achievements. I thank the IGP and all policemen for their services to maintain law and order while struggling against the pandemic, the Minister said.

The retired Navy Chief of Staff also said that he would submit a special Cabinet paper to continue to pay the salaries of police personnel who died from the coronavirus pandemic to their family members till those officers reached their retirement age.

Also present at the meeting were IGP Chandana Wickramaratne and Secretary to the Ministry Maj. Gen. Jagath Alwis.

All News Advertisement

News

Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

2 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

News

Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

2 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

2 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.