The Hon. Major General (Rtd.) G.D. Sooriyabandara

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I thank you for the opportunity to comment on the adjournment motion moved today by Hon. Dharmapriya Wijesinghe on establishing a strong legal framework to eradicate drugs and organized crime.

¶ 02 Before I begin, I condemn the murder that occurred yesterday. We do not hesitate to condemn all such homicides and all crimes against humanity.

¶ 03 The Hon. Leader of the Opposition questioned whether our MPs face the public or hide from public days. We affirm that we conduct public meetings and public days every week and regularly engage with the people. We have not faced any threats to our security. Such threats arise only if someone has engaged in illegal acts, crimes, or is linked to smuggling or illicit activities; then one must be concerned about personal security.

¶ 04 I recently saw on social media that Hon. Namal Rajapaksa has taken a very good decision: before nominating any candidate from his party in upcoming elections, he will obtain a police report about them. That is a sound decision. Otherwise, individuals connected to various crimes and rackets can become public representatives and then face threats; that is natural. If implemented as stated, such situations can be averted.

¶ 05 I must also address a claim from the Opposition that this is the first such assassination. That is wrong. In 2003, Hikkaduwa Urban Council Chairman Gamini Pinnaduwa was assassinated by two unknown gunmen. What matters is not whether this is the second or third such case; we must ensure this is the last, and that such incidents never recur. Every life is precious. Therefore, under the Hon. President’s intervention, we have launched the “Ratama Ekata” national programme at district and divisional levels to eradicate the scourge of drugs.

¶ 06 Drugs and organized crime are today a global threat. Recently, some countries accused others that drug trafficking and organized crime in their territory affect their national security, and the issue has escalated to the use of hard power—it has become a matter affecting world peace, not limited to our country.

¶ 07 For any country’s progress, the active participation of its citizens is essential. For that, citizens must be physically and mentally healthy. We know our youth are being preyed upon by drug trafficking, harming our country’s future and progress. Addicts and traffickers also get drawn into organized crime, affecting national security. We must remove this danger from society.

¶ 08 Thus, through the “Ratama Ekata” programme, we intend to eradicate drugs and uproot organized crime. This is not easy; it is complex and demanding. Everyone must unite. In particular, we must reduce the triad of importers, distributors, and users (buyers). To curb importers and distributors, we must secure our maritime borders, strengthen the Coast Guard and Navy, and build a robust mechanism.

¶ 09 As Hon. Susanta Dodawatta noted, strong security networks now operate at airports. We must also focus on fishing harbours, coastal fishing villages, and boat anchorage points. To prevent drugs entering our country, we must pay greater attention to the northern, eastern, and western coasts. These are sensitive zones where Indian fishermen mingle and various contacts exist, making it easier to bring drugs or other items. We must attend to this linkage.