The Hon. Arjuna Sujeewa Senasinghe, Attorney-at-Law
Hon. Arjuna Sujeewa Senasinghe raised concerns about public and parliamentary security following reported shootings, including an incident at the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court despite STF protection, and rejected assurances that there was no national security threat. He requested the Speaker to ensure adequate security for Members of Parliament. He also said the Opposition would act responsibly, avoid falsehoods and divisive politics, and support measures it considered beneficial.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Do not continue the old Opposition routine. I see the Minister in charge of Police shows little concern. Today, even at the seaside, there has been a shooting.
¶ 02 A Member: Ja‑Ela.
¶ 03 The Minister says there is no threat to national security. National security is not a simple headcount. These things can happen under any government, but Minister Nalin Bandara understood this is serious. Even with 15 STF guarding, gunmen entered the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Colombo at noon. There is no protection for MPs. Many outside are angered by what we say. I request the Speaker ensure necessary security for Members.
¶ 04 We fought Rajapaksa-era corruption together with JVP leaders. Do not lump us all together. We are a responsible Opposition with a capable team, avoiding lies, working straight, with creativity, skill, and understanding. We could have inflamed hatred to win votes; we did not. Inform the people honestly; we will also support what is good to change the political landscape for the better. I conclude.
¶ 05 Thank you.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Friday, 21 February 2025 ·No. 1740809173064396 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Arjuna Sujeewa Senasinghe, Attorney-at-Law. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 21 February 2025. No. 1740809173064396. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/3750