The Hon. Ananda Wijepala - Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs
The Minister stated that the area in question is not a High Security Zone and that defence authorities have not identified a large-scale public safety crisis. He said nine people had died in shootings in the past 45 days compared with 12 in the same period the previous year, and described the incidents as isolated matters under investigation. He noted arrests and repatriations linked to organized crime, said overall crime had decreased, and pledged to strengthen public safety and national security measures while withholding full details until investigations conclude.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, that area is not currently designated as a High Security Zone; defence authorities have confirmed this. There is no large-scale public safety crisis. In the last 45 days, 9 people died in shootings; in the same period last year, 12 died. There is no wave of terror; rather, several isolated incidents are under investigation to determine any links. We will present full details upon conclusion of investigations; premature disclosure would impede them.
¶ 02 We have already arrested many individuals linked to organized criminal gangs and repatriated a record number from abroad. Comparing past years, overall crime has decreased. Nonetheless, we regret every loss of life and will further strengthen measures to ensure public safety and national security.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Tuesday, 17 February 2026 ·No. 23279 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Ananda Wijepala - Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 17 February 2026. No. 23279. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/5834