Compensation for Kandy riots from Monday

• Police investigations ongoing
• CID and TID carrying out two separate investigations
• 3 out of 4 arrested by CID for spreading hate speech on social media below age 18

By Skandha Gunasekara

Government authorities are scheduled to begin handing over compensation for the victims of the racially-instigated riots in the Kandy District by Monday.

Kandy District Secretary H.M.P. Hitisekara told Daily FT that compensation would be made with the cooperation of the Ministry of Prison Reforms and Rehabilitation.

“We have completed most of the preliminary work. The Government Valuation Department has been active in the area and most of the valuation work has been done. We hope to start meting out compensation on Monday. The compensation program is being done alongside the Ministry of Prison Reforms and Rehabilitation,” Hitisekara said.

Meanwhile, investigations into the communal unrest and its instigators were still ongoing, Police Media Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara told Daily FT.

“Separate teams from the Criminal Investigations Division and the Terrorist Investigations Division along with the relevant Police departments of the area are conducting investigations. We are using footage from CCTV cameras as evidence as well as to identify perpetrators,” the Police Spokesman said, adding that all findings of the inquiry would be submitted to the Attorney General’s Department.

SP Gunasekara went on to say that 299 suspects had been apprehended in connection with the violence and turmoil that occurred in various parts of the country.

“Of the total we arrested, 194 were from the Kandy District while the remaining 105 were from other districts. Some have been given bail but quite a few are still in remand prison,” he said, noting that both Sinhalese and Muslims were among those arrested.

Furthermore, the CID had managed to identify and arrest four individuals for spreading hate speech and racism via social media.

“One of them is above the age of 18 while the remaining three are below 18 years of age. Two of them are from Homagama, one from Colpetty and the other is from Minuwangoda.”