Sri Lanka President vows to eradicate underworld influence

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasized yesterday (February 20) in Parliament that investigations have revealed that underworld activities have infiltrated certain individuals within official institutions responsible for public security.

He further stated that all necessary measures will be taken to completely eradicate the underworld in the future, while acknowledging that the process will take some time.

President Dissanayake made these remarks during the first meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Defence of the 10th Parliament, held on February 20, 2025, in the Sri Lankan Parliament under his chairmanship.

During discussions on the security of court complexes in the country, Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara stated that a proposal has been prepared to enhance the security of court complexes. He added that in the future, measures will be taken to strengthen security using modern technology, following a comprehensive review involving all relevant parties, including lawyers.

Furthermore, Members of Parliament raised concerns regarding the release of lands in the Northern and Eastern provinces that are currently occupied by military camps, urging that they be returned to their original owners. In response, the Secretary of the Ministry of Defence stated that a reassessment would be conducted, not only for lands in the Northern and Eastern provinces but also across the entire country where the tri-forces have occupied land. He assured that appropriate decisions would be made regarding their release.

Members of Parliament also inquired about military-run businesses, including tourist hotels, and their potential for being redirected towards more productive investments in the tourism industry. In response, the President stated that a study would be conducted in this regard and that appropriate decisions would be made to utilize these businesses for economic benefits.

Moreover, Members of Parliament expressed concerns about the possibility of ethnic and religious divisions arising from certain shrines established in the Northern Province. In response, President Dissanayake emphasized that religious and ethnic extremism should be completely eliminated from politics. He further stated that such issues should be resolved based on the genuine aspirations of the residents of those areas. He also highlighted that certain groups, driven by narrow political interests, tend to exploit such situations for political gain. Therefore, he affirmed that steps would be taken to ensure that no one is given the opportunity to incite ethnic or religious divisions for political advantage.

Additionally, the need to establish a committee for National Disaster Management was highlighted during the discussion. Accordingly, the President instructed officials to expedite the necessary processes to complete this task promptly.

Among those present at the event were Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih, Deputy Minister of Defence Major General (Retd.) Aruna Jayasekera, ministers, deputy ministers, and several Members of Parliament. Also in attendance were Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Sampath Thuyacontha, the heads of the tri-forces, officials from the Ministry of Defence and its affiliated institutions, as well as Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary-General of Parliament Chaminda Kularatne, along with several other officials.