Sri Lanka: Police, Armed Forces Granted Powers To Arrest Troublemakers

Sri Lanka’s security forces, including the police, army and other officers have a legal responsibility to ensure that these emergency regulations are not misused.

The emergency measures are to be implemented with minimum disruption to public life and enforced with genuine intentions and to be enforced impartially regardless of their religious, ethnic or political affiliations, said ASP Gunasekara.

Responding to allegations that the Police did not act soon enough to contain the situation in Teldeniya, the ASP remarked that the police did arrest 24 persons with regard to the clashes but a special police team has been sent to Kandy to investigate into conduct of the police during the whole incident, “They will find out if the Police was at fault,” he said.

He however believed that through the Police curfew, mobile and foot patrols and the assistance of the army, they have been successful in containing the situation, “Not allowing the violence to spread was our main focus”, said the ASP.

The public has been asked to inform the nearest Police station of any attempts to arise.