No.2, Amarasekera Mawatha Colombo 5 Tel.No.2583477 / Fax No.2500972 Mobile : 0777712345 E-mail :kjsun@sltnet.lk, Press Conference held by Hon.

Karu Jayasuriya MP UNP Gampaha District on 21.11.2012 People of this country suffer triple fears. First is to eke out day to day life, secondly protection of lives, thirdly, the doubt they have whether they could get justice done in the presence of political goons, henchmen and those who use illegal weapons. Recent budget has given protection to the elite of the country. Ordinary citizens did not get any benefits. It was reported in the newspapers the way the mothers behaved when they were unable to provide food for their children. On one occasion a mother committed suicide by jumping into a river with her children. Not because she lacked love for them. While a section of society struggles to make a living, another elite group is in a different world with Lambhorgini racing cars. It is revealed that they are getting ready to have car races in Colombo and Kandy and revel, closing down roads with sand bags and inconveniencing people. Dissenting views of Maha Nayaka's, general public or any other individuals are ignored by those who are intoxicated with power. Weddings and other ceremonies held in Colombo hotels are subjected to difficulties during the car races. In the mean time a massive crime wave is building up in the country. Such a situation has not been reported during the period known to us. Whole families are being murdered. Women are being raped and killed, even women 60, 70 years old are being murdered in the same manner. Some dead bodies are disfigured and dismembered. The Government should take the responsibility for this grave situation in the country. This situation arises when the murderers get the protection of politicians. Despite the attempts by the Inspector General of Police, police officers are unable to carry out their duties, due to interference by powerful politicians. There are many illegal weapons in society today. These are in the custody of the politicians and those who have the protection of the politicians. We

Karu Jayasuriya M.P.

should get rid of these illegal weapons from society. We urge authorities to take prompt action. The other cause for the wave of crime is the drug menace. Some members of society have reached a stage where they commit unnatural sex offences with perverted minds, due to drugs. Children and old women are being abused. It is a known secret that there are powerful politicians behind the drug business. They are so powerful that no one is able to touch them. Those who belong to different strata of society are subjected to this including children, women, elders and businessmen. According to the official records of the Criminal Investigations Department (2011), 148 women have been murdered during the last year. Out of these murders cases have been filed in courts only for 10. It is reported that 408 women have been raped. These are official figures only. According to the statistics for this year crimes have increased tremendously. There appears to be a trend of hiding evidence without any trace. When women and children are subjected to sexual assault, there have been instances where whole families have been murdered and on some occasions many persons were killed in order to hide these incidents. Dreadful nature of these crimes exceeds animalistic brutality. We see another dreadful trend with this massive crime wave. Although the war which was there almost for 3 decades is over there is no national programme to identify those who are subjected to trauma and to treat them through counseling and behavioral adjustments. Instead door has been left open for the creation of war mentality in the country. The immediate attention of the Government should be drawn to this situation. People are in a dilemma not knowing whether justice will be meted out to them by the police whose duty is to protect civil law and peace. This issue has been aggravated by the abolition of the 17th Amendment. It seems that with the introduction of the 18th Amendment, unlimited powers are vested with the Executive. As a result the legislature has become a mere rubber stamp.

The Secretary of the Judicial Services Commission recently made a statement regarding the interference into the independence of the commission. In this atmosphere there is a trend where we find political interference in place of justice and illegal groups and political henchmen take the law upon themselves instead of the institutions which are responsible for implementing law. Recently the country witnessed with repugnance how a military major was subjected to humiliation in the presence of political power. Under these circumstances ordinary people are rendered helpless. We insist that the government finds an acceptable solution to this social and political problem. Please bring an end to the activities which create lawlessness, ruthless administration and dictatorship in place of democracy. At times the law of the jungle is being implemented by this government. Those who are responsible for these murders have not been found. This is a very dangerous trend. I wish to bring to mind a saying of Mahathma Ghandi who said' " The culture of a nation is in the hearts and souls of its people" Therefore, I wish to emphasize that the government should take positive steps to prevent crimes, wave of killings and use of weapons by unlawful elements which are getting aggravated.