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Illegal activity surrounding demining being probed

22 Jul 2021

BY Buddhika Samaraweera In response to the recent allegation made by a de-miner that a large number of de-miners in the North were selling explosives to those who engage in illegal activities, the Public Security Ministry has stated that the relevant agencies have been instructed to carry out demining activities in accordance with the prescribed procedures, and that stern action would be taken against those who engage in such acts. At a recent media briefing, a de-miner named S. Udayakumar alleged that people engaged in demining duties in the Northern Province were selling explosives contained in mines to various individuals. When contacted by The Morning to inquire about this, the Public Security Ministry Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Jagath Alwis said that there have been a few incidents of explosives found in mines being sold by de-miners to various individuals, especially to those engaged in fishing. However, he said that steps have been taken to investigate such incidents and to take legal action against the suspects. “There is a prescribed procedure under which the demining activities should be carried out, and any mines that are found should be destroyed in front of the Army. We, therefore, have instructed all responsible parties to follow the relevant procedures and we will be monitoring if there is any illegal activity taking place,” he added. Meanwhile, when inquired about the other allegation made by Udayakumar that a number of female de-miners had been sexually harassed by their supervisors, Alwis said that no such incident has been reported. “We have not received any complaints with regard to such incidents,” he added. Speaking at a recent media briefing in Jaffna, Udayakumar claimed that a large number of de-miners in the North were selling explosives to those who engage in illegal activities. He further claimed to have also written to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in this regard.  


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