News
SL Coast Guard to be made a maritime police force
The Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG) is headed for a more militarised outlook under a new law to be enacted by Parliament, which provides for the secondment of armed forces personnel to the service, as well as a freeze on trade union action and restrictions on fundamental rights, similar to those imposed on security forces personnel and police.
An Air wing for the Coast Guard too is in the offing, as part of the moves to modernise and give teeth to the Unit, said SLCG Director General, Rear Admiral Ravindra C. Wijegunaratne.
The Dept. which was brought under the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development in 2009, functions as Government Dept at present. Prior to 2009, it was attached to the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
Cabinet has now given its approval to a proposal by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to rescind the prevailing Dept of Coast Guard Act and remove it from its departmental structure and replace it with the Sri Lanka Coast Guard which enables it for temporary attachment of armed forces personnel to this new institution. Rear Admiral Wijegunaratne said this would enable the SLCG to get pilots and other personnel from the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) once its Air Wing is set up.
He also said that, on issues like poaching by Indian fishermen, the SLCG will be able to play a more prominent role.
“The news media often report that it is the Sri Lanka Navy that has taken Indian fishermen into custody, while it is reported that, on the other side, the Indian Coast Guard has detained our fishermen. This gives a wrong impression of Sri Lanka’s military involvement in such issues, but once the new laws are in place, the SLCG can engage more actively in detecting and prosecuting those who violate our territorial waters,” he added.
The other changes to come through the new Act include the establishment of the SLCG as a law enforcement institution subject to a disciplinary system which exists between the State’s departmental structure and the military structure, which would allow for prosecution of its personnel involved in wrongdoing, without the written consent of the Attorney General.
The new Act will also include provisions to restrict entitlement on fundamental rights over SLCG personnel, similar to those imposed on members of the armed forces and the police under Article 15 (8) of the Constitution.
Under 15 (8), restrictions have been placed on members of the armed forces, police force and other forces charged with the maintenance of public order with such limitations prescribed by law, in the “interest of the proper discharge of their duties, and the maintenance of discipline among them.”
The other provisions in the new law will include legal protection for officers who are discharging duties under the Coast Guard Act and establishment of a Coast Guard Reserve Service, in order to obtain the service of professionals.
The prevailing Act strictly prohibits the Coast Guard Dept or its personnel, from being trained or organised as a military establishment or to function as such.
Read Admiral Wijegunaratne added that four coast guard officers are undergoing training in the USA, and upon their return, will contribute to modernising the SLCG. At present, the Dept consists of 100 officers and 1,000 other men.