The Hon. Chathura Galappaththi

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, thank you for the opportunity during the debate on two key Ministries’ expenditure heads.

¶ 02 We regret the Trincomalee incident. Sri Lanka should be beyond such events. Those who once hid in temples and under Buddha statues during the 1988–89 unrest now act in ways that create small tensions. May such situations not recur.

¶ 03 The Minister said the Police removed the statue for protection. If threatened, do we go and stay at a police station? If someone faces a threat, do the threatened go and lodge in the Police? Protection for a statue should be provided where it stands, not by removing it—this is absurd.

¶ 04 Yesterday in Meetiyagoda, an elderly woman of 78 was shot dead. With a year of your Government, there have been 104 shootings to date; 55 deaths; 56 injured. The Government trivializes these by calling them underworld crossfires, but innocent people, even small children, have been killed. When Weligama PS Chairman Lasantha Wikramasekara—a democratically elected representative with the highest mandate—was assassinated at the Council premises on Public Day, the Minister for Public Security stated here that there is no issue of national security, and that the victim was a criminal—this messaging is dangerous.

¶ 05 They labeled him “IRC-registered.” I later learned “IRC-registered” can include three minor offenses for which small fines are paid upon admitting guilt; that label was used to portray him as a serious criminal. This Government runs on scripts. During the Weligama PS election, two ruling party members were reportedly abducted; the poll was postponed; no answers since—script failed. Later, another script: shots fired at their own member’s house near the next poll—again no answers. These are failed scripts.

¶ 06 We also accuse the present IGP of dereliction. The Chairman had notified the IGP in writing, under oath, of death threats. Under the Constitution’s Fourth Schedule oath and public administration circulars, especially Establishments Code 1: Chapter II, para. 3:8, letters must be acknowledged promptly or with interim replies within a week. Failure invokes disciplinary action under Public Administration Circulars 10/92 and 10/93. The same accusation levelled at the then-IGP over Easter attack warnings now applies to the current IGP. We urge the National Police Commission to take disciplinary action; we have little faith the Government will act, but we will pursue legal avenues.

¶ 07 On the Easter Sunday attacks: you came to power promising justice; yet after a year, no disclosures. Ravi Seneviratne is now Secretary to Public Security and Shani Abeysekara heads the CID—your own appointees—so there is no obstacle; reveal who did it.

¶ 08 On major crimes: the 323 containers that arrived during this Government’s period could be the biggest future harm. Two containers found with ice in the MIddeniya area are only a fraction; what else was in the rest—arms, drugs? You have the power—159 MPs and an Executive President—at least table a report to Parliament.

¶ 09 Former Minister Bimal Ratnayake once urged MPs to watch the sensitive film “Taare Zameen Par,” accusing us of insensitivity. We have watched that and also “Sitaare Zameen Par.” I also urge screening of the recent Tamil film “Madras” (Madaraasi) which shows how five arms containers are smuggled into South India to seize power through violence. We fear parallels: 104 shootings within a year here. Watch and heed the warning of what may lie ahead. Thank you.