The Hon. (Mrs.) Thushari Jayasingha, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, in this debate on Police and Public Security, let me begin by reminding what these institutions do for daily life. Beyond law and order, they cultivate social discipline, prevent crime and anti-social conduct, regulate traffic, ensure public safety, and coordinate with non-State actors. Immigration and emigration, and preventing dangerous drug use, also fall within this broad remit.

¶ 02 Some attempt to reduce or skew this towards other agendas, even ethnic extremism. But this is a vital institution people interact with daily: from grave crimes to domestic disputes, from cutting a plantain tree to a boundary issue, people go to the police. Budgeting must therefore value the service delivered.

¶ 03 On drugs: beyond suppressing supply, we are working to reduce demand and focus on rehabilitation. Accordingly, funds are allocated for treatment and rehabilitation centres and infrastructure. We are preparing community-based rehabilitation programmes, identifying high-risk zones and deploying solutions. Our labs were underdeveloped for years; now we are allocating funds to improve scientific facilities so courts can be supported with proper analysis. We have allocated Rs. 52 million for prevention programmes, with 8,264 youth programmes, of which 3,264 are school-based.

¶ 04 Since the late 1980s, we saw “round-ups” of youth around midnight in urban areas. Only now are we systematically going after importers, traffickers and manufacturers. For decades youths were rounded up, cases filed and attempts made at rehabilitation while the real networks were untouched. Today, large quantities—tonnes—have been brought to justice after this Government took office. The Minister detailed this earlier.

¶ 05 The Police also pursue other major tasks, including probing illicit enrichment. Over Rs. 700 million worth of assets have already been frozen or actioned against. No one will escape the net. We have no “friends” in this; the law applies equally regardless of party or status. Allegations that those linked to our party involved in drugs were protected are false: they were arrested and the law applied.

¶ 06 Major crimes long buried are progressing: the Wasim Thajudeen murder investigation is ongoing; the Gampaha High Court is hearing the case on assaulting media figure Upali Tennakoon; investigations continue into the abduction of journalist Keith Noyahr; the Eknaligoda murder is before a three-judge High Court. On the Lasantha Wickrematunge murder and driver abduction, we had to start from where even the torn leaf from the notebook was—evidence had been hidden or destroyed. We are rebuilding these painstakingly, sometimes starting from call-detail analysis. We will continue on behalf of the public.

¶ 07 In diverse districts like Kandy, we must not sow suspicion among communities. Plantation workers were long pushed into a political corner; today they are part of the national mainstream. We will not allow anyone to inject poison—racial or religious—into this unity.

¶ 08 Thank you for the time, Hon. Presiding Member.