Rathupaswela killings: PM demands fresh probe

By Saman Indrajith-February 5, 2015, 10:09 pm 

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremeisnghe yesterday said in Parliament that there was a pressing need for a special commission or a Parliamentary Select Committee to probe the Rathupaswala incident where three civilians were killed and 15 others were injured during a protest.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said party leaders should meet and decide whether to appoint a special commission or a parliamentary select committee to look into the incident because he was not satisfied with available reports prepared by the Defence Ministry and Police Department on the incident.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said so when JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake who said that the answers submitted to Parliament on the shooting incident at Rathupaswela in Weliweriya in response to a question raised by him were not true.

MP Dissanayake demanded to know the number of people killed and injured during the shooting incident and asked the government whether an investigation had been held and if so to name the official who had ordered to send army to attack a peaceful protest.

Minister of Public Order, Disaster Management and Christian Affairs, John Amaratunga said that 15 persons had been injured in the incident where three were killed. The deceased had been identified as K. A. D. Akila Dinesh of No 476/15, Helenwatte, Weliweriya, H. S. R. Perera of No 33, Nedungamuwa, Weliweriya and P. R. G. N. Pushpakumara of Udahathenna, Gampaha.

Asked whether the officers who gave orders to fire and carried them out had been identified, the Minister said: "No orders were given by the higher officials to open fire. Ten soldiers opened fired in order to defend themselves and also to safeguard the lives of people and public property from those hurling stones and petrol bombs and shooting by unruly mobs towards personnel of the army. The said soldiers have been identified."

MP Dissanayake: "We were there following the incident and no petrol bombs were thrown. The army handled the protestors as if they were dealing with terrorists. What really happened and who is responsible for the death of three innocent civilians must be revealed."

MP Dissanyake asked whether Minister Amaratunga was simply reading out what was given to him by the Ministry and the Police.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe expressing solidarity with Dissanayake said there were several serious issues connected to the Rathupaswela incident, thus it needed to be investigated properly. "I’m in agreement with the sentiments of MP Dissanayake that a thorough investigation must be carried into the Rathupaswela incident as the current evidence and details of the matter are insufficient to determine what really happened," the Prime Minister said.