ANTI-TERRORISM CLAUSES IN FORCE UNDER EMERGENCY | Daily News

ANTI-TERRORISM CLAUSES IN FORCE UNDER EMERGENCY

* Day of National Mourning declared today
* President calls on Archbishop
* Additional security for all churches
President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday called on Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith at   Archbishop House.  Picture by Kapila Ariyawansa
President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday called on Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith at Archbishop House. Picture by Kapila Ariyawansa

As the death toll has risen close to 300, following the Easter Sunday carnage, the Government yesterday took measures to gazette anti-terrorism clauses to be effective from midnight yesterday.

Accordingly, the provisions of the National Security Act had been promulgated by the President. The President took this decision at an emergency meeting of the National Security Council yesterday.

Meanwhile, the government today declared a Day of National Mourning .

The President had directed the Tri-Forces and the police to take every possible action in the future to deal with terrorist related offences.

President Maithripala Sirisena is also expected to meet the foreign ambassadors and high commissioners based in Colombo to brief them on the developments and seek international assistance. The intelligence agencies have reported that there were international organisations behind these acts of local terrorists Hence, it has been decided to seek international assistance for investigations.

All churches have been given additional security on the directive of the President. President Maithripala Sirisena also called on the Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith at Archbishop’s House yesterday.

He expressed his, shock, deep pain and dismay over the brutal attacks on places of Catholic religious worship and discussed over the future steps that should be taken regarding this incident.

During this meeting, the President, said that at present, the government has taken every possible step to prevent a recurrence of these kind of incidents in the country in the future.

President Sirisena further said that he has given instructions to the Security Forces to provide security at any time it is needed to all religious leaders including the Archbishop as well as for shrines.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe held a meeting with heads of missions representing 47 countries and briefed them about the present situation in the country, at the Temple Trees. 


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