Policing Sri Lanka’s Police Force

T
he question before us is the seriousness of the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) on very issues of the society.

by Wimalanath Weeraratne
Courtesy: The Sunday Leader

( February 1, 2016, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) It seems that Sri Lanka Police never learns a lesson. Although it has the Dharmachakra (Wheel of the Dharma) in its insignia and has Dhammo bhave rakkathi dhammachari (One who lives by Dhamma is protected by the Dhamma’; the police does not seem to adhere to Law and in fact takes Law unto its own hands.

In November 2015, we heard of heroic actions of a pregnant Woman Police Constable (WPC) in Kandy who saved the life of a six-year-old child about to be thrown onto an oncoming train by his own mother, disregarding her own safety. Despite there being many instances where the police personnel have helped civilians, actions of a handful of unscrupulous police officials are a discredit to the whole Police force.

According to Dr. George Katsiaficas, Professor of Sociology of Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, something is really rotten in the so-called ‘Democratic Socialist’ Republic of Sri Lanka. Since 1971, tens of thousands of people have been tortured, killed or disappeared by State-led terrorism and anti-government militants. When diving deeper into State-led killings and torture, one can understand, Sri Lanka Police is the main arm used by the political establishment to perpetrate these crimes.

“Daily abuse of civilians by police and military personnel is now routine — and goes unpunished. Sexual torture through sticks and hot pepper powder is widely practised. Families who complain about such torture are themselves subject to interrogation. Old mothers who speak out are pushed in the mud,” laments Dr. Katsiaficas.

Embilipitiya incident

On January 7, 29-year-old Sumith Prasanna died after ‘falling’ from the third floor of a building during a clash in Embilipitiya. According to media reports, when the Police arrived at the party in response to a call that using loudspeakers at the party had not been authorized, the officers had requested liquor in order to turn a blind eye to the complaint. The organisers of the party complied and provided them with hot beverages. When the Police had arrived the second time they were told that the party had run out of liquor and a volley of words ensued. The Police arrived again for taking revenge. At the time, the deceased – Sumith Prasanna Jayawardana was having his dinner, it was reported.

According to his wife 29-year-old Munasinghe Arachchige Shashika Nishamani Munasinghe, her husband was thrown from the top floor when both of them pleaded with the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) not to throw him over the building. She further states that she too was subjected to highly abusive language at gunpoint and was pushed away by the Police officers.

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