Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, (Retired) General Kamal Gunaratne announced that the Ministry of Defence has implemented several measures, including allowances, medical rehabilitation, and lifelong care, to ensure justice for all soldiers disabled during the war.
He made these statements at a news conference.
Addressing the media briefing, Gunaratne said: “Last year (in 2023) alone, the tri-forces operations resulted in the seizure of nearly 560 kilograms (kg) of heroin, 3,350 kg of cannabis, 5,220 kg of Kerala cannabis, 60 kg of crystal methamphetamine, 151,000 drug capsules, and 6,650 litres of illicit liquor.
“By yesterday (31 July), approximately 270 kg of heroin, 3,640 kg of cannabis, 12,720 kg of Kerala cannabis, 150 kg of crystal methamphetamine, 43,600 drug capsules, and 5,000 litres of illicit liquor had been seized.
“Among the 60,000 war heroes wounded in the war, approximately 10,000 are bed-ridden or confined to wheelchairs. Rehabilitation centres have been established in Attidiya, Anuradhapura, Kamburupitiya, and Kurunegala to provide medical rehabilitation and lifelong care for them. Additionally, the dependents of military personnel who died before the age of 55 while serving, and those who retired due to medical reasons, will receive a fixed monthly allowance equivalent to the salary and allowances that they were receiving.
“The Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Limited has provided re-employment opportunities to over 3,000 soldiers retiring from the military service. Given the current situation in the Red Sea, there is now an opportunity to deploy 550 Sea Marshals, and recruitment for this position is currently underway. The recruitment of civilian medical students to the Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) has also commenced. More than 1,000 out-patients receive free treatment daily at the KDU Hospital. Since 2012 to date, 286 foreign students have been enrolled at the KDU. So far, a contingent of 301 troops has been deployed for United Nations’ peacekeeping duties in Lebanon, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
“Furthermore, measures have been taken to address the issue of Sri Lankans being forcibly held in Myanmar and exploited in online scams. Consequently, we successfully rescued 40 individuals and brought them back to Sri Lanka. However, another group of people has travelled to this area through brokers in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and 54 more individuals remain to be rescued. I have discussed the matter with the Prime Minister and the National Defence Secretary of Myanmar. Diplomatic requests and appeals were made, both officially and as a former military officer, to secure their release. The Defence Secretary of Myanmar has informed me that the Premier has advised to intervene and take all necessary steps to address this issue.
“Additionally, there is a concern regarding former military personnel caught in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. We are collaborating with the Ministry of Defence of Russia on this matter. We have also requested the Russian Embassy to notify the Ministry of Defence if any ex-military personnel have applied for tourist visas to Russia. Currently, the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) is identifying and monitoring landslide prone areas, issuing early warnings, and conducting mitigation activities.”
“The Landslide Risk Reduction through Stabilisation Techniques project, implemented by the NBRO with financial support from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, is working on stabilising 128 landslide sites. So far, stabilisation has been completed at 46 of these sites. Meanwhile, at the request of the Ministry of Health, the Army is providing labour for the construction of a 10-storey building at the Matara District General Hospital, and the Navy is contributing labour for the construction of a 10-storey building at the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital. Additionally, the six-storey building of the Maharagama Apeksha Hospital/National Cancer Institute, constructed with the labour contribution of the Air Force, is almost complete and is scheduled to be commissioned next week,” he said.