Sri Lankan police arrest 1,500 people in connection with May 9 violence
Colombo(PTI): Sri Lankan police have arrested at least 1,500 people so far in connection with the violent clashes between anti- and pro-government protesters in the country earlier this month that killed at least 10 people and injured over 200 others, according to a media report on Monday.
On May 9, violence erupted in Sri Lanka after supporters of former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa attacked peaceful anti-government protesters demanding his ouster over the country's worst economic crisis that led to acute shortages of staple food, fuel and power.
According to Sri Lanka Police spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa 1,500 people have been arrested in connection with the violence, online portal newsfirst.lk reported.
Thalduwa further said 152 persons have been arrested in the past 24 hours.
On Saturday, Inspector General of Police Chandana D Wickramaratne was interrogated by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over his alleged actions that triggered the violent clashes that killed at least 10 people and injured over 200 others.
Last week, Galle district MP Ramesh Pathirana informed the Parliament that Senior Police DIG in-charge of the Western Province Deshabandu Tennakoon had informed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa that Wickramaratne had instructed him not to block the mob heading to Galle Face to disrupt the anti-government protesters, online portal Colombo Gazette had reported.
Pathirana added that the President demanded action be taken to prevent the situation from spiralling out of control.
Following the President's orders, police rushed to the spot and fired tear gas and water cannons on the mob, by which time scores were injured and at least 10 people were dead, according to Colombo Gazette news portal.
The CID had earlier quizzed three members of the ruling SLPP parliamentary group over their alleged involvement in the clashes.
Two of their colleagues who were arrested previously have been remanded in custody till May 25.
On Friday, Namal Rajapaksa, a former minister and the son of former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, was also summoned and his statement has been recorded.
Members of the ruling coalition government blamed Opposition party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna for instigating the violence on May 9, which was vehemently denied by the Marxist party.
The mob destroyed several tents and other structures erected at Galle Face in Colombo and also attacked some of the demonstrators. The violence saw arson attacks on the homes of several politicians, including the ancestral home of the Rajapaksas in Hambantota.
The properties of some 78 government parliamentarians faced arson in the ensuing attacks.
Sri Lanka has been witnessing large-scale protests against the government's handling of the debt-ridden economy - the worst-ever economic crisis in the country's history.
The country of 22 million is grappling with unprecedented economic turmoil since its independence from Britain in 1948.
The crisis is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices.
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Govt to set up Bureau of Port Security to boost port, vessel security
New Delhi (PTI): To beef up the security infrastructure of ports, the government will set up a statutory body -- the Bureau of Port Security -- that will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information of ports and vessels, officials said on Friday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday convened a meeting for the constitution of the dedicated body, the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS), which was attended by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and the Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu, an official statement said.
Emphasising that there is a need to establish a country-wide robust port security framework, Shah directed that security measures should be implemented in a graded and risk-based manner, taking into account vulnerabilities, trade potential, location, and other relevant parameters.
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The meeting also noted that lessons learned from the maritime security framework shall be replicated in the aviation security domain, the statement said.
The new body, modelled on the lines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), will be constituted as a statutory body under the new Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, and will work under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), it said.
Headed by a senior IPS officer as its director general, the BoPS will be responsible for regulatory and oversight functions relating to the security of ships and port facilities.
"During the transition period of one year, the director general of shipping shall function as the director general of BoPS," the statement said.
"The BoPS will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information, with a special focus on cybersecurity, including a dedicated division to safeguard port IT infrastructure from digital threats," it said.
The government has designated the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as a recognised security organisation (RSO), responsible for undertaking security assessments and preparation of security plans for port facilities.
The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) will train and build the capacities of private security agencies (PSAs) engaged in port security.
"These agencies shall be certified and appropriate regulatory measures shall be introduced to ensure that only the licensed PSAs operate in this sector," the statement said.
