Thursday, 13 March 2014 00:00
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POLICE have been allowed to carry revolvers and pistols in Sri Lanka. This is not necessarily a reassuring move as the Police is Sri Lanka has a long history of brutality and use of excessive force, which is often allowed to flourish with little or no accountability in place. Yet, in the face of increasingly brutal crimes, Police officials argue the issue of guns, albeit at a controlled level, is the best way to protect the public. But it is hard to be reassured given the track record of the Police.
Just last month a mother died after having a heart attack triggered by watching her son being beaten up by the Police during an arrest. Police Chief Illangakoon’s theory is that a small group of corrupted Policemen are tarnishing the good name of the entire force. If that is the case, then a parallel system must be set up so that such offenders are caught and punished. Yet it cannot be denied that the Police routinely let Policemen suspected of torture and custody deaths off with a slap on the wrist transfer as well as taking no steps whatsoever to depoliticise the force.
Several examples of such have transpired over the last few months. One instance was when a solitary Police constable was interdicted and 13 other Police officers including a Chief Inspector charge-sheeted at the conclusion of the investigations into the conduct of Police officers of the Deraniyagala Police Station during the alleged ‘era of terror’ unleashed by former Deraniyagala PS Chairman and his political cohorts.
Reports expressed disgust at the fact that not a single senior Police officer who was in charge of the area during the past decade had been scrutinised by the Special Investigations Unit, which was appointed to probe the conduct of the Police personnel. Residents with tears in their eyes told of gruesome stories where armed gangs operated a rape and torture chamber in the village and routinely terrorised people, allegedly with the support and blessing of top Police brass. Villagers went so far as to beg for a Special Task Force unit to be stationed in the area as they had completely lost trust in the appointed Police force.
Another instance was when the recent drug bust that implicated the Prime Minister came home to roost. Political involvement aside, the Police have been curiously quite over the progress of the largest heroin consignment to be ever caught in Sri Lanka. Police officers standing by when places of religion are attacked can be cited as another instance when Police fail to live up to their mandate.
Public perception of the Police, which was never that great to start with, is at an all-time low. The Police is seen as the most corrupt institution in Sri Lanka and public safety continue to be swept under the carpet by officials such as the Law and Order Ministry Secretary, who only see the Police as a way to quell ‘enemies of the State’ rather than as a unit sworn to protect the public. Giving them weapons without checks and balances in place could be unwise under such circumstances.
Effectively reduced to a tool of corrupt politicians, Sri Lanka’s Police stumble ever-lower. Often under allegations of torture, bribery and custody deaths among much else because reform is never taken seriously by the Government’s top ranks. Hand-in-glove, the top ranks of the Government and Police create an environment of impunity that only the public continues to pay for. If the Police Chief is truly sincere about creating a professional and corruption-free service, then he has to tackle the bigger issues – fast.
