The arrest of the civil activist Shehan Malaka and the attack on journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrama were strongly condemned by Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, who voiced his concern over the two incidents.
The current Attorney General was also reprimanded by the Archbishop.
The Archbishop also pointed out that if Shehan Malaka had not gone live on social media, the rest of the country would have had no idea that he was being kidnapped by a gang in a van. He also added that Shehan Malaka had the confidence to tell the country about it.
He chastised the police for their actions in arresting individuals, stating that while conducting an arrest, Sri Lanka Police must be in uniform and utilize a police jeep. The Archbishop also said that the police must read the charges against the accused before arresting. “Therefore what happened to Shehan Malaka is not an arrest but an abduction which is completely unsuitable for a democratic society,” he added.
In addition he also highlighted that with these immoral acts it is visible that there is a political hand behind the Easter Sunday investigations. The Archbishop also stated that he lays his trust and hope at the hands of the county’s judicial system at the moment in order to protect human rights of the people.
He said that the Attorney General, who is supposed to carry out the recommendations of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the 2019 Easter Sunday Attacks, is attempting to apprehend people demanding justice. He recalled that the responsibilities of the AG and IGP are to protect the law and order in the country and not to fulfill the whims and fancies of the politicians.
Add new comment