The Government has cautioned the public that an unseen political hand was trying to create a violent uprising in the country by fuelling public anger at the breakdown in essential services and the rising cost of living.
Yet, there is no decision to block the Sunday rally that is being organised across social media platforms, it stressed, appealing to the public to be wary of evil forces with hidden agendas trying to exploit the situation in the country and disrupt post Covid-19 economic revival.
At an emergency media briefing on Friday (1) attended by Cabinet Ministers Keheliya Rambukwella and Prasanna Ranatunga and State Minister for Community Police Services Dilum Amunugama, it was stressed that the incident near the President’s private residence in Mirihana on Thursday was an attempt to create a clash between the police and the masses. “Whoever who was behind it wanted to see one or two dead bodies there, so that they could ignite the masses and get their sadistic pleasures fulfilled,” Minister Ranatunga said.
Organised group
“It was a case of a peaceful public protest being manipulated into a violent clash by an organised group of men in motorcycle helmets,” the Ministers said. Contrary to rumours, the President had been in the house when the incident took place on Thursday night.
The Government pointed a finger at the JVP and the SJB and other Opposition forces for Thursday’s calamity, adding that they were direct benefactors of this unfortunate incident. “They wanted to see bloodshed, but the President issued firm orders that peaceful protestors must not be harmed in any way.”
“Video footage is there for anyone to see, men wearing helmets were hurling stones and setting fire to state vehicles and damaging public property. That was not the work of ordinary citizens,” they voiced, adding that the Government did not believe religious extremists were behind this incident and urged the media not to portray a wrong picture.
Minister Ranathunga added that the Opposition was trying to blame security forces personnel for burning down vehicles. “You have unedited footage of the whole incident, you can carry out your own investigation,” he told the media.
Fifty-three persons were arrested by the police after the incident while members of the media, the public and 24 police personnel, including 18 from the STF were injured in the clash. The mob had set fire on two buses that were used to shuttle the police, riot police, STF and soldiers to the site. A police jeep, several motorcycles and a few other vehicles were also set on fire. The damages to property have been estimated at around 39 million.
Minister Rantunga said there could be more arrests linked to the violent clash.
On Friday, the police produced 21 persons before the Gangodawila Magistrate and 15 were released on bail while six were remanded till April 4.
 After the violent protest. Pix by Rukmal Gamage
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Minister Ranatunga who opened the press conference at the President’s Media Centre on Friday said, the Government will not deny that people were feeling angry and frustrated by the long power cuts, shortage of fuel and LP gas as well as the rising cost of living.
Positive results
“We will honour their right to protest, but these protests must be for the good of the country. They must reap positive results. If public property is damaged and the law enforcement officers get attacked, then it will not be a peaceful protest,” Minister Ranatunga said.
He said the riot police and the STF were deployed to control the mob and minimum force had to be used to disperse them so that they don’t storm the president’s house. “The President always stressed not to use force. When the first barricade was broken, the police did not resist. The second one was also breached and still the police did not take action. But when the third barricade which was the last one near the President’s house was overpowered, the riot police were given the green light to use minimum force to disperse the crowd.”
“If minimum force was used earlier, the police could have prevented the damage caused to the public property, but the police did not receive orders to use force to disperse the unruly mob until the last barricade was breached around 1.00am,” Minister Ranatunga said. He said an operation room manned by Defence Secretary, police chiefs and security forces personnel were monitoring the situation at Mirihana.
He appealed to the people to be wary of attempts by dark forces to create public unrest. “We remember the 1983 communal riots and the 88-89 dark era. The country did not flourish after those periods, instead the country was dragged down. It took decades for our economy to rebound.”
Highest tourist arrivals
“After the pandemic, we recorded the highest number of tourist arrivals in March this year and there has been 280,000 arrivals infusing US $ 500 million to our economy. The dark forces are trying to reverse that.”
He said that a one time JVP ‘national list candidate’ was also seen among the protesters.
 The violent mob attempts to proceed beyond a police barricade in Mirihana on Thursday. |
State Minister Dilum Amunugama said that he has been briefed by the police chiefs how the people who were staging a peaceful protest near the Jubilee post in the late afternoon were diverted towards the President’s house and made to behave violently.
These people were made to walk towards the President’s house later. There too, the people were protesting peacefully until suddenly a group of men took hold of the situation. Initially only the police were called in but when things turned ugly the riot, police and the STF had to be called in.
The soldiers were also called in, but they stood guard at the President’s house and did not get involved in controlling the protestors.
In response to media queries if the state intelligence apparatus failed to warn the Government of the existence of such extremist forces, the State Minister said that he is yet to know about it, but in future, the Government will act with caution.
He assured that if media personnel were arrested by mistake and had been subject to police brutality, as claimed, he will look into it and ensure that justice is served.
Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said the incident was an eye opener. The Government will take action to prevent incidents where the public will get caught in ‹political extremism›.
Dark JVP era
“At the JVP led NPP Nugegoda rally, the JVP leader called for people to disregard the Constitution and the laws of the country. They are trying to drag the country back to that dark JVP era. Such acts will only further exacerbate the already suffering economy. The Government is trying to overcome this situation and provide relief to people, but these political extremists are trying to fish in troubled water. The last thing in their mind is public welfare,” Minister Rambukwella said.
He said, “We are going through an extremely tough time in our history. This is one of the toughest times of my political career. We overcame a similar period in 2009. We can overcome this as well.”