Sri Lanka: UNP slams Police Spokesman; demands resignation

SSP AJith Rohana: A UPFA policeman

The UNP today demanded the immediate resignation of the Police Media Spokesman, accusing him of issuing statements favoring the ruling UPFA regarding the arrest of a UNP candidate, ahead of Provincial polls.  UNP Western Provincial Council candidate Royce Fernando was arrested last week in connection with an armed robbery which had taken place in Negombo recently. The United National Party says that Police Spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana had strongly criticized the party for giving nominations for Fernando to contest the forthcoming election and the illegal activities of public representatives.

SP chops off hair of suspects in public

An investigation has been launched into an incident, where a Superintendent of Police (SP) is alleged to have paraded, and had thereafter cut the hair of three suspects in public, the DIG in charge of the Anuradhapura Division, B.A.D. Padmasiri, said.

SRI LANKA: The Armed Forces are now the police

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission

On July 3rd 2013, President Mahinda Rajapaksha published a gazette that authorized the armed forces to engage in “the maintenance of public order”. Last week, he announced a new ministry under the title “the Ministry of Law and Order”. By these two acts, the Sri Lankan civilian police have been virtually reduced to nothing, and their function – which is to maintain law and order – has now been handed over to the armed forces.

‘Code of Criminal Procedure (Special Provision) Bill: Extended detention of persons, arrested without a warrant, could not be justified in a democracy - PSP

Bill gives police a free hand

The Frontline Socialist Party yesterday called upon the people to rise up against the government’s plan to bring in new laws in order to extend the period of detention of persons arrested without a warrant.

The FSP politburo, in a statement, said that a draft bill had been presented to the Parliament by the government on October 11, under the title ‘Code of Criminal Procedure (Special Provision) Bill’ to extend the detention period from 24 hours to 48 hours, after arrest to facilitate the investigation process.