• Police assigns personnel to each request for security protection including those from hotels & restaurants
• Threat assessment done based on observation while no. of cops assigned depends on threat/fear levels; if necessary, cops even accompany tourists during countrywide travel    

The Police has been receiving daily requests for security protection from Israeli and European tourists, both in the form of in person visits to Police stations and calls to the dedicated hotline, and the Police has been providing physical security for each such request.

“These requests come from individual tourists, and the majority are from Israel and countries in the European Union, as well as from locally run tourist establishments such as hotels and restaurants,” Police Marine and Tourist Range Deputy Inspector General of Police Damayantha Wijaya Sri, who has been appointed as the central contact point for tourists in this context, told The Daily Morning yesterday (6). “Several of them phone us but a few come in person and then we conduct observation based risk assessments and give protection to each tourist or business that requests for it.”

Wijaya Sri stated that these calls for security stem from the fear caused by several foreign diplomatic missions based in Sri Lanka issuing travel advisories against visiting Arugam Bay following warnings of threats against Israeli tourists and tourists.

Wijaya Sri added that several Police officers are stationed at various other divisions and are also guarding tourists, with several of them accompanying the tourists in question as they travel around the country if the tourist feels unsafe.

“The number of Police officers present will depend on the nature of the threat and the fear of the tourist,” Wijaya Sri said, adding also that while their Division handles the observational aspects of the matter, other Police arms deal with logistics and related aspects.

However, despite the travel advisories, Wijaya Sri said that tourists are less fearful at present. “The atmosphere is improving and we have several tourists who tell us that they want to enjoy their holiday and that they don’t want Police officers next to them as they vacation,” Wijaya Sri said. 

“However, we will still be taking the maximum security precautions as we don’t want any tourist to feel unsafe or threatened,” he went on to say.

These comments follow the United States Embassy’s travel advisory to Arugam Bay citing threats. Following this, the Israeli Government issued warnings against their citizens travelling to Arugam Bay and certain other beachside areas which was followed by several other countries following suit. 

The authorities arrested six suspects including a Maldivian national for questioning regarding alleged plans to attack Israeli tourists. Following this, the Government has provided security to the area and all other relevant parts of the country and had introduced a special hotline to assist Israeli tourists during their travels in the country.