(COLOMBO) – Sri Lanka’s Public Security Minister, Tiran Alles, has directed the police to utilize their service weapons, asserting that removing criminals from the country is not a sin.
“Eliminating criminals from the country is not a sin. Don’t be afraid to use the weapon in your hand for the right thing and we stand by you,” Alles said while participating at a passing out parade at a police commando training camp in southern Sri Lanka.
“The trained police officers are fully aware of their responsibilities and they know exactly what to do when it is needed. All the police officers know what that goal is. I just want you to go for that goal. I have done everything, including raising the salaries for all of you. I only expect you to go for the goal,” the Minister further said but did not elaborate on the goal.
A group of 100 police personnel were given a special training aimed at hunting down criminals operating in the Western and Southern Provinces.
This group of policemen will ride motorcycles in their hunt for wanted criminals and their associates and they were pressed into operation on Thursday, Alles said.
Minister Alles and his Police Department has come under constant fire from human rights activists, lawyers and others from both within and outside the country who have warned that the island republic was slowly moving into a police state.
In addition to that at least a dozen custodial deaths have also been documented from the start of this year.
