President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stressed that their sole objective is to prevent the nation and the children from falling victim to drug addiction and that a government has now been established that provides no political protection to any criminal or anyone involved in drug trafficking.
The President expressed these views this afternoon (20) at the Tangalle Public Stadium, when he attended the Southern Province programme organised under the islandwide “A Nation United” mission aimed at eliminating the drug menace.
Sharing his views on the occasion, the President further stated:
“We have launched this campaign with unwavering determination to put an end to the drug menace. Without doing so, this country will never experience development, peace, or prosperity. This scourge has devastated our villages and destroyed family structures. Because of it, parents now fear allowing their children to engage with society in any meaningful way.
Those who operate these drug networks and those connected to them, have created such a climate of fear, that even police officers are intimidated. I too could have simply continued down the old familiar path, turning a blind eye to this destruction, pretending not to see it. But we chose instead the path of freeing our country and our people from this addiction. The path of defeating this menace. This has now become our collective aim and resolution. And is this not the responsibility of all of us?
Power was granted to criminals and drug traffickers through the patronage of politicians. It was politicians who empowered an ordinary youth from Julampitiya to become who he is today. At times, underworld leaders were even linked with the security divisions of former Presidents. Some parties connected underworld members to their executive committees and some used them for the protection of certain individuals. We assure you: under our administration, no underworld leader, no criminal and no drug trafficker will ever receive political protection. The mandate we received from the people is built upon that trust.
As we all move towards a common goal with clarity of purpose, some will attempt to divert attention by introducing different topics and shifting public focus. We will not fall into those false traps. We tell our police officers and members of the security forces to uphold the dignity of their uniform.”
In addressing this issue, monks, church priests and all religious leaders who maintain a strong connection to our villages and communities bear significant responsibility.
Veteran actress Mrs. Anoja Weerasinghe and similar groups have voluntarily formed community organizations to support the rehabilitation of children addicted to drugs. Recognizing these efforts, we have allocated a significant amount of funding in this budget for rehabilitation initiatives. Our intention is to implement rehabilitation programmes based on a highly scientific and methodical approach. A young man or woman who has become anti-social due to an addiction has not chosen that path by nature. They have the potential to become valuable citizens of this country. Therefore, we plan to establish rehabilitation centres in every district. We urge you to entrust your child or family member struggling with addiction to us we are committed to giving you back the child you once hoped for.
This crisis, which has persisted for decades, cannot be resolved overnight. Operations will continue relentlessly until it is completely eradicated. The battle against this menace is not merely between law enforcement and offenders, there is a political front connected to it as well. We will defeat that political force through political means. Officials do not need to be involved in that aspect. Your responsibility is to act firmly against the criminals.
Hambantota Weligatta Sri Gunalankara Monastery Chief Venerable Baragama Gnanathilaka Thero:
As religious leaders, we have a profound responsibility to support the President’s efforts to free our nation from the menace of drugs. The President and his team are playing a crucial role in dismantling the toxic drug distribution network in this country. While they are working diligently on that front, we, as monks and leaders of all religions have an equally important duty. As they work to suppress the supply of dangerous drugs, we must take the lead in reducing the demand. Therefore I urge all religious leaders to play an active role in this mission by assisting in disrupting the demand side and providing our full, ongoing support to this noble cause.
In carrying out such vital work, challenges may arise, not only for you, President, but for anyone engaged in a righteous mission. Even the Lord Buddha faced resistance. When he discouraged the killing of animals, those who benefited from such acts opposed him. When requested to refrain from using dangerous drugs, resistance emerged from those who used or traded them. Likewise, those who are threatened by this anti-drug effort may create obstacles for the President and the teams involved.
We know that in some previous administrations, certain policies were carried out only superficially and in a fragmented manner. You have now been entrusted with the authority to govern this nation for its betterment. I believe that if not for your leadership, we would not be witnessing the seizure of such large quantities of illicit drugs. We see your genuine commitment and tireless work in this task. At the same time, we observe how some individuals, affected by these initiatives, once again misuse the sacred robe to shield themselves and rationalize their behaviour.
The Buddhist clergy as a whole stands firmly with you. Without hesitation or debate, we religious leaders of this country will contribute fully to the noble effort of saving this nation from the scourge of dangerous drugs.
To illustrate the situation, Sri Lanka was like a stagnant pool of water. Political authority, corruption, crime, drugs and similar forces had become deeply entrenched. Through the mandate of the people expressed in Presidential, Parliamentary and local government elections this political authority has begun to be cleansed, like heavy rains washing a polluted pond. Yet, the moss and invasive weeds have not been completely removed. Therefore, I believe that the President has the strength to complete this cleansing process and restore the country transforming it from stagnation into a thriving nation.
I affirm that the Bhikkhu community, as religious leaders, will provide its utmost support for this initiative.
Actress Anoja Weerasinghe
Parents, before pointing fingers at others, please take a moment to look at yourselves. Why is your child angrier than usual? Why are the child’s eyes red? Why does the child keep falling down? When someone is struggling to breathe, they cannot stand upright. So why is a child who cannot stand upright repeatedly collapsing? Without looking into these matters, you scold them. You treat the symptom, but you never look for the cause. Have those children received love?
Today, our President, the Government, the Tri-forces and the Police are working tirelessly to free our country from the drug menace. As citizens, what we can do is to be mindful of our surroundings. When you go to a bus stop, don’t just stare at your phone. Look around at the children on either side. Sometimes it might be a child on the verge of taking their own life. Our small gesture of love, our smile, can be powerful enough to keep that child alive. I see this as a time when society’s health must be healed more than ever.
We must step away from the mindset of “my child, my home.” When we were small, we had a small house and a big family. Today we live in big houses with many rooms, each of us isolated in a separate room. When the door of a room is closed, we have no idea what the child inside is doing.
The incidents shown in today’s videos, there are plenty of similar cases known to me. Some parents, without understanding their children, spend large sums of money and send them abroad. But even before three months pass, the child returns completely destroyed. They were already somewhat broken here. Parents sent them overseas thinking they would improve, but they return utterly ruined and beyond recovery. Eventually, everyone ends up on the streets.
Have we managed our families wisely? Now, at a moment when this disaster has reached unprecedented heights with the participation of a large number of people, we must not push away the helping hand that comes our way. We must contribute in whatever way we can. Whatever the political party or government, if the work being done is for our benefit, why should we oppose it? Are we going to move backwards until our children are ruined?
I am reminded of a dialogue from the play “The Trojan Women”, in which I performed:
“What man, in order to conquer a city, destroys that very city wipes out its people, destroys the shrines where gods are worshipped, and even the silent resting places of the dead? Such a person is only building a desert around himself and will perish alone”.
What use is there in conquering a land without children? A country without children, a country without youth, will soon be left with only people like us, who have already grown old and in a few days we too will die. As the play says, except for destruction, nothing remains; there is no one left to build a nation.
Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Ananda Wijepala, Deputy Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government, P. Ruwan Senarath, Deputy Minister of Lands and Irrigation, Aravinda Senarath, Members of Parliament, Nihal Galappaththi, Sadaruwan Madarasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Ravi Seneviratne, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army Lieutenant General Lasantha Rodrigo, Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasuriya and representatives of the security forces were present at the event.
