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Report on Rambukkana to Parliament ‘expeditiously’

20 Apr 2022

  • Public Security Minister says committee of Ministry officials to submit report
  • Ranatunga defends Police action to prevent major bowser fire disaster
  • Lawyers’ group claims attack on civilians was planned
BY Dinitha Rathnayake The report of a special committee comprising Ministry Secretaries and advisors to look into the conduct of the Police in the Rambukkana area – which left one protestor dead and over 30 others injured following the Police opening fire on protestors – will be presented to Parliament “expeditiously”, said Minister of Public Security and Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga in Parliament yesterday (20). He noted that this special committee would include an Additional Secretary to the Public Security Ministry and a Legal Advisor to the Defence Ministry. “In addition, we request the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) to conduct an independent and impartial inquiry into this incident.” “protestors attempted to set fire to the fuel bowser. If there was such a fire, there would have been a big disaster. In 2021, in Sierra Leone, a bowser-related fire burned 151 people. We responsibly say that we are committed to protecting the daily lives of the ordinary people of the country. We are working on that,” stated Ranatunga. “At the time of the attempted attack on the private residence of the President, the Police acted with great patience and in accordance with the law. The President acted in a democratic manner. The children who are screaming today are not going to do this. We are saddened that people are trying to kill innocent people. Therefore, as a Government, we declare our commitment to the security and peace of all in this country.” Meanwhile, Lawyers’ Forum for the People Convenor Attorney-at-Law Senaka Perera, speaking to The Morning, claimed that the Rambukkana incident was a planned attack carried out by the Government.  “I urge the Government to stop this violence, because we have reasonable doubt that this was a planned attack by the Government. We will not allow this to happen at any stage. We will protect civil rights. The Government has no right to attack peaceful protestors. Several eyewitnesses to the incident also accused the Police of the attack, saying that it was a planned and targeted civilian attack by the Police,” he charged.


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