Rajapaksa regime in Ostrich hiding style - Karu
UNP MP Karu Jayasuriya says that the instant decision of the President to establish a ministry for "Law and Order" is like an Ostrich ring to hide is head in sand to hide from the world.
He emphasizes that if the Govt has a genuine desire to preserve the true law and order, then it must re-enact the 17h constitutional amendment an save the Police, state service and the judiciary from the iron grip of politics.
MP Karu Jayasuriya made these comments in a media announcement issued by him today (27).
The announcement is as follows.
The government has taken steps to remove the Sri Lanka Police from the Ministry of Defense and bring it under a new Ministry called Ministry of Law and Order. The government took this decision on the eve of the arrival of Mrs. Navanidan Pillai, United Nations Commissioner of Human Rights, also by this time the government had replied the people of Rathupaswela who asked for drinking water with bullets and three people were killed. Along with this incident the government inherits a history of killing five people who were engaged in protests, by shooting unarmed civilians, either by police or armed forces.
The government said a third party was involved in Rathupaswela shooting. Brother of Roshan Chanaka told the media at theincident at Rathupaswala that up to now nobody has been brought before the law for the murder of Roshan Chanaka who protested for his rights at Katunayake.
Independent Police Commission and other independent commissions were introduced by the 17th amendment. It was intended to depoliticize and remove political influence from the public administration by bringing in the 17th amendment. If there were any deficiencies in the 17th Amendment the government should have taken action to rectify those deficiencies instead of introducing the 18th Amendment and annihilating the 17th Amendment. Although proposals have been prepared by the select committee headed by Hon. Dew Gunasekera, which was appointed to look into the deficiencies and to strengthen the 17th Amendment, attention of the President has not been drawn to these proposals.
During the recent past the international community accused the government of failure to protect human rights, but the government, despite the accusations continued with the same attitude. The government underestimated the proposals made to offer advisory services internationally and showed the public that the international community is against the government which won the war.
Lastly through the attacks at Katunayake, Chilaw, Rathupaswela and Welikada Prisons, the government indicated that the government is prepared to subdue post war Sri Lanka through the bullets. In order to cover up this infamous past the government brought the police under the newly formed ministry of Law and Order on the eve of the visit of Mrs. Navaneedan Pillai.
This is similar to the act of an ostrich hiding its head in the sand to cover itself from the eyes of the outside world. We wish to stress that if the government is genuinely keen to protect law and order, what should be done is to re-enforce the 17th Amendment and release the whole of the state machinery including the police, public service and the judiciary from the grips of the political vise. Also we wish to urge the government that justice would not be fulfilled only by bringing the police under a separate officer, whilst keeping the attorney general’s department under the President.
UNP MP Karu Jayasuriya says that the instant decision of the President to establish a ministry for "Law and Order" is like an Ostrich ring to hide is head in sand to hide from the world.
He emphasizes that if the Govt has a genuine desire to preserve the true law and order, then it must re-enact the 17h constitutional amendment an save the Police, state service and the judiciary from the iron grip of politics.
MP Karu Jayasuriya made these comments in a media announcement issued by him today (27).
The announcement is as follows.
The government has taken steps to remove the Sri Lanka Police from the Ministry of Defense and bring it under a new Ministry called Ministry of Law and Order. The government took this decision on the eve of the arrival of Mrs. Navanidan Pillai, United Nations Commissioner of Human Rights, also by this time the government had replied the people of Rathupaswela who asked for drinking water with bullets and three people were killed. Along with this incident the government inherits a history of killing five people who were engaged in protests, by shooting unarmed civilians, either by police or armed forces.
The government said a third party was involved in Rathupaswela shooting. Brother of Roshan Chanaka told the media at theincident at Rathupaswala that up to now nobody has been brought before the law for the murder of Roshan Chanaka who protested for his rights at Katunayake.
Independent Police Commission and other independent commissions were introduced by the 17th amendment. It was intended to depoliticize and remove political influence from the public administration by bringing in the 17th amendment. If there were any deficiencies in the 17th Amendment the government should have taken action to rectify those deficiencies instead of introducing the 18th Amendment and annihilating the 17th Amendment. Although proposals have been prepared by the select committee headed by Hon. Dew Gunasekera, which was appointed to look into the deficiencies and to strengthen the 17th Amendment, attention of the President has not been drawn to these proposals.
Independent Police Commission and other independent commissions were introduced by the 17th amendment. It was intended to depoliticize and remove political influence from the public administration by bringing in the 17th amendment. If there were any deficiencies in the 17th Amendment the government should have taken action to rectify those deficiencies instead of introducing the 18th Amendment and annihilating the 17th Amendment. Although proposals have been prepared by the select committee headed by Hon. Dew Gunasekera, which was appointed to look into the deficiencies and to strengthen the 17th Amendment, attention of the President has not been drawn to these proposals.
During the recent past the international community accused the government of failure to protect human rights, but the government, despite the accusations continued with the same attitude. The government underestimated the proposals made to offer advisory services internationally and showed the public that the international community is against the government which won the war.
Lastly through the attacks at Katunayake, Chilaw, Rathupaswela and Welikada Prisons, the government indicated that the government is prepared to subdue post war Sri Lanka through the bullets. In order to cover up this infamous past the government brought the police under the newly formed ministry of Law and Order on the eve of the visit of Mrs. Navaneedan Pillai.
This is similar to the act of an ostrich hiding its head in the sand to cover itself from the eyes of the outside world. We wish to stress that if the government is genuinely keen to protect law and order, what should be done is to re-enforce the 17th Amendment and release the whole of the state machinery including the police, public service and the judiciary from the grips of the political vise. Also we wish to urge the government that justice would not be fulfilled only by bringing the police under a separate officer, whilst keeping the attorney general’s department under the President.
Police cannot be streamlined only by a new ministry - UNP
- Wednesday, 28 August 2013
The UNP says that an independent police commission must be established and that the Police Department could not be streamlined and depoliticized only by bringing it under the purview of a new ministry.
UNP spokesman, parliamentarian Gayantha Karunathilaka has said it was essential to set up an Independent Police Commission if the police department were to act independently.
“We cannot expect the police department to act independently, just by bringing it under a new ministry. Independent commissions as laid down in the 17th Amendment should be set up if the state sector is to be independent,” Karunathilaka has said.
The UNP has repeatedly asked the government to re-establish the 17th Amendment abolished by the passage of 18th Amendment which gives powers to the President to make appointments into key positions.
Karunathilaka has said the Independent Judicial Services Commission, the Independent Elections Commission and the Independent Police Commission should be set up immediately.
