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‘Obstructed’ wildlife officers threaten union action

29 Jun 2021

 

  • Allege Army official obstructed duties in Habarana Forest

  • Large-scale union action if no transparent probe: Association

  By Buddhika Samaraweera   The All Ceylon Wildlife Officers’ Association (ACWOA) has warned that it would embark upon a large-scale trade union action within the next few days if a transparent investigation is not carried out into an incident where wildlife officers were obstructed from performing their duties. According to the Association, a group, including a Major General attached to an Army camp in Anuradhapura, had allegedly obstructed the duties of a team of wildlife conservation officers on duty in the Habarana Forest Reserve on 25 June. When contacted by The Morning to inquire about this, ACWOA President Shanuka Ranawaka Arachchi said that although several days have passed since the incident was reported, the Habarana Police, to which a complaint had been lodged by the wildlife conservation officers, have not taken any action to record a statement from the relevant Army officer and the others involved. Describing the incident, he explained: “Several wildlife conservation officers had been stationed in the vicinity of the Habarana Forest Reserve and the Minneriya National Park for several days following the receipt of information regarding wildlife-related crime. On the night of 25 June, a suspicious vehicle had come out of the Forest Reserve and the wildlife conservation officers had attempted to stop that vehicle for inspection purposes, but it had not stopped.” According to Ranawaka Arachchi, the vehicle had sped on despite being given chase by the wildlife conservation officers and entered an Army camp in Anuradhapura. “Since they knew where the vehicle they chased went to, the wildlife conservation officers decided to turn around. However, when they were returning, on the way, a group, including a Major General who is suspected to have been in the vehicle in question, had come and attempted to snatch the wildlife conservation officers' mobile phones and attack them,” he claimed. He said that since the vehicle in question had not heeded the order by the wildlife conservation officers to stop for the purpose of conducting an inspection, it had not been possible to ascertain whether the vehicle was transporting something illegal. “It is unfortunate that a senior official of an institution such as the Army had behaved in this manner despite wildlife conservation officers having the power to inspect any suspicious vehicles passing through wildlife-related protected areas.” Speaking further, he added that they would request the Wildlife Conservation Department’s Director General (DG) to inform the President, the Army Commander, and the other relevant authorities regarding the matter and to take action to carry out a probe into the said incident as well as to prevent such incidents from recurring. However, he warned that if the authorities fail to do so, islandwide wildlife conservation officers would initiate a large-scale trade union action against such, in the coming days. Attempts to contact Wildlife and Forest Conservation Minister C.B. Ratnayake, Wildlife Protection, Adoption of Safety Measures Including the Construction of Electrical Fences and Trenches, and Reforestation and Forest Resource Development State Minister Wimalaweera Dissanayake, Wildlife Conservation Department DG Chandana Sooriyabandara, and Army Commander General Shavendra Silva to inquire about the matter, proved futile.  


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