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JVP says policemen are a frustrated lot, denied promotion and poorly paid
View(s):Moving the Adjournment Motion on the ‘conduct of the Police in the recent past’, Chief Opposition Whip and JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayaka said there are nearly 10,000 vacancies in all ranks of the Police force.
Embilipitiya residents demand justice. Pic by Ysitha Jayaweera
“No measures have been taken to fill them for many years. There is a growing level of frustration among police personnel. They are not given due promotion. Many are in the same rank for over ten years.
There are some who have served for nearly 25 years as Police Constables. Is it fair to keep a PC in the same rank for 25 years? There needs to be a much more streamlined system to give promotions to police personnel. There are also issues regarding poor salaries and working hours.
‘Police personnel are stretched to the limit and as was seen in the Embilipitiya case. It is on record that policemen who were off duty and sleeping in barracks were called up.
There are also some police personnel who are involved in heinous crimes. We have a former DIG who has been sentenced for murdering a person after accepting a bribe. There are other senior police officers who have been involved in treasure hunting.
If high ranking officers are involved in such incidents, how do you expect people to have confidence in the Police force. Unfortunately some of the bad precedents set by the previous government are continuing under this regime as well. The Embilipitiya incident is a clear illustration.”
Planning and Water Supply Minister Rauff Hakeem said the Government has set up the independent commissions, including the Police Commission.
As a government we have to deal with the problems of those in the police. As we saw in the case of protesting students of HNDA (Higher National Diploma in Accountancy), the media repeatedly showed footage of the clashes between the students and Police.
The amount of force to be used to contain a riotous situation is a decision that has to be made on the spot by officers who are there to ensure that the situation does not get out of hand.
We need to understand the service constraints that police officers are under before we jump to conclusions and criticise them. The media too needs to be fair when looking at these issues that concern police personnel and the public.
The culture of impunity over a period of time was due to several factors. Unnecessary politicisation has also affected the way things have grown out of hand but with the introduction of the Police Commission things are bound to improve.
In the coming months when we implement the Right to Information (RTI) Act, that will further empower people to expose wrong doing and corruption leading to increasing transparency in the way the Government conducts its affairs.
As the Prime Minister very correctly pointed out the media too has to very correctly report incidents. They got to be balanced in their approach and give both sides of the story and be fair by the readers and not to be seen siding with one faction and giving twisted version of events.
UPFA Gampaha District MP Sisira Jayakody addressing the House said since the change in leadership, one of the new institutions created was the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID).
It was set up to hunt down political opponents especially those of the real opposition and harass them It is a completely illegal set up. The Police force has been pushed today by the political authority to take political revenge.
The Government must act more responsibly when dealing with issues of national security. Unfortunately today some police personnel are being forced to record statements from their own colleagues especially those who were in intelligence units.
Today there is no security for the police personnel themselves. We also condemn the Embilipitiya incident and the attack on students. We are well aware of the mishandling of the Seya murder case. We saw how a young student in the area was treated by Police. Strong action should be taken against such policemen.
Law and Order and Southern Development Minister Sagala Ratnayake said the main objective of the Government is to set up a police force that protects its self-respect and works towards the interests of the public.
“The Government’s aim is to ensure that all citizens have equal access to justice. This government will never interfere with police investigations. We urge police officers to do their job properly in order to bring the country’s law and order situation to a higher level.
| BASL alleges anarchy within Police Dept in inquiry into Embilipitiya incidentThe Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has expressed concern that the police media spokesman was playing several roles in the Embilipitiya case, viz Attorney-at-Law, investigating officer and spokesman.BASL’s Rule of Law Committee said it was concerned with the unacceptable conduct of the Police as evidenced by a series of recent incidents. Referring to the Embilipitiya incident, the Committee said, “Whilst respecting and without suggesting any prejudice and/bias, on the ongoing judicial process into the incident, the Committee is concerned at the high-handed conduct of the Police Media Spokesman who was apparently playing several roles, perhaps dubious in nature, namely as media spokesman, Attorney-at-Law, as well as investigation Officer. “The latest episode in this regard, viz, the death of a youth where the Officers of the Embilipitiya Police Station are implicated, records alleged conduct and behaviour unbecoming of any person in any responsible position, leave alone the Police. “The committee records it’s strenuous objection with regard to the alleged conduct of the Officers of the Embilipitiya Police Station where there are serious allegations as well as reported evidence of deplorable conduct suggestive of criminality; gross aggravation; serious abuse of power; and absence of supervision and control, leading to the irresistible conclusion of anarchy within the Police Department,” a statement said. The Committee said it wishes to draw the attention of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) as well as the National Police Commission (NPC), to the conduct of the Media Spokesman; the absence of credible action against the implicated suspect police officers attached to the Embilipitiya Police Station; manner of conduct of the Judicial Inquiry, especially the non-inclusion of the Attorney General’s Dept or its officers; the absence of remedial, deterrent and punitive interim actions; non-investigation of complaints into the subsequent alleged conduct of the Police Officers involved in the related Inquiry, amongst a host of other irregularities. “The Committee firmly believes that the IGP as well as the NPC should immediately intervene in the present issue, to seek the Truth; Mete out Justice; and bring about reparations as well as to take constructive actions of a permanent nature to ensure non-recurrence”, a release from the BASL said. “The Committee recommends that a Special Mechanism be introduced in the form or nature of a Special Investigation Unit to deal with serious allegations of this nature and/or magnitude,” the statement said. |