President Maithripala Sirisena

President Maithripala Sirisena has justified his decision to restore the death penalty after a 43-year moratorium as a measure to protect the country and the future generation from drug traffickers.

The President says to protect the future of the country as well as the future generation, the death penalty should be enforced against the drug traffickers while preventing the illegal drug trade that spread day by day destroying the lives of thousands of young people including the school students and university students.

Addressing an event in Polonnaruwa, Friday, the President said that he signed the document to execute the drug offenders not with hatred and cruelty towards anyone, but to save the nation and the future generation from this social catastrophe.

Confirming that he has ordered the execution of four drug offenders President Sirisena called all who against his unilateral decision are supporters of the illegal drug trade.

President Sirisena said that therefore, no one should attempt to reverse this process and said that he has apprised the Secretary General of the UN in this regard while engaging in a telephone conversation with him on Thursday.

Addressing the gathering, the President said that the fight against illegal drug trafficking was not one that he started yesterday. Also, he said that this was a long-standing program that began to save the nation from the terrible social disaster. The President said that with the cooperation of all, the program is now on its way to a successful end.

The President’s decision has sparked concern internationally from the UK and EU as well as from Canada, France and Norway and locally.

Curtain falls on National Drug prevention week today with President as the Chief Guest