The Hon. Mujibur Rahuman

¶ 01 [11.36 a.m.]

¶ 02 Hon. Deputy Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to speak on the Government’s programme against organized crime gangs and drug trafficking.

¶ 03 As we debate this, yesterday morning, we learned that the Chairman of the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha, Mr. Lasantha Wickramasekara of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, was assassinated—shot dead by an automatic weapon in his office while he was engaged in public duties. Following the murder, the Minister of Public Security came to Parliament and immediately started talking about the underworld, insinuating connections, effectively rationalizing the killing. In a civilized society, one first expresses condolences and condemns the murder unequivocally. If there are allegations, they should be brought before court; no one has the right to kill.

¶ 04 Previously, the President repeatedly said in this House during earlier administrations that no one can be killed—what matters is why and how it happened, and why such impunity existed. Now, however, after the assassination, the Minister speaks of alleged firearms and unnamed “organized criminals” without having arrested the victim earlier if there was evidence. If there were grounds, he could have been produced before court during the months he held office. Instead, justification comes after his death. This reveals a troubling mindset reminiscent of 1988–89. It is unacceptable in a civilized society; even if a person is accused, their death must be respected, and the culprits brought to justice.

¶ 05 Further, the President’s media apparatus appears to be campaigning around the deceased’s alleged past instead of focusing on justice. I, too, face coordinated abusive online campaigns targeting my ethnicity and religion. Those who came to end such toxic politics seem to be perpetuating it.

¶ 06 The President often says he inherited a “criminal state.” Who created it? Those brought to power in 2005. If that is so, then his own allies were responsible. Do not pretend now to dismantle what your own camp built, while promoting those complicit.

¶ 07 On that note, I table material relating to the 2019 Dr. Shafi case. The Divaina newspaper of 23 May 2019 carried the headline alleging he had sterilized 4,000 Sinhala Buddhist women after C-sections. Following instructions from then DIG C.D. Wickramaratne, CID officers including Shani Abeysekera and Ravi Seneviratne investigated and reported to the Kurunegala Magistrate that it was a conspiracy based on forged documents by then SP Mahinda Dissanayake and then DIG Kinsiri Jayalath. Yet those officers have since been promoted—Mahinda Dissanayake to DIG; Kinsiri Jayalath now Senior DIG, Southern Province. The journalist who authored the false report stated that then DIG Kinsiri Jayalath was his source. A complaint to CIABOC was lodged against Jayalath; the current IGP sought to have the journalist arrested, but the CID resisted. Meanwhile, Muslim doctors fled the country due to that manufactured hysteria. This is not how one dismantles a “criminal state.”

¶ 08 I also have a letter dated 2019.07.27 from then DIG C.D. Wickramaratne to the Police Commission recommending the immediate transfer of SP Mahinda Dissanayake and Kinsiri Jayalath from Kurunegala to facilitate investigations. Despite such records, those responsible were protected and promoted.

¶ 09 The President promised to expose all crimes—the killings of Lasantha Wickrematunge, Keith Noyahr; investigations into Poddala Jayantha; the bomb attacks on media institutions like Sirasa and Udayan; arson at Lanka e News. Little has progressed. It appears those implicated in past crimes are now shielding this Government, and those crimes are being buried.

¶ 10 Thank you.