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Rambukkana shooting: Police to act after final HRCSL report

24 Jul 2022

By Skanda Gunasekara The Police Department will only commence implementation of recommendations made by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) regarding the 19 April Rambukkana Police shooting incident once the final report is released by the rights watchdog, The Sunday Morning learns.  Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles said that he had requested the HRCSL to issue its final report on the Rambukkana incident. The use of lethal force by the Police at Rambukkana on 19 April following public unrest due to the fuel shortage resulted in the death of one unarmed person. “So far only the interim report has been issued by the Commission. Once the final report is out, the Police will look into implementing its recommendations regarding the incident in Rambukkana,” Minister Alles told The Sunday Morning. The HRCSL released its interim report on 28 June on its investigations into the Police shooting of civilians at the protest in Rambukkana on 19 April. The interim report outlines a number of recommendations, including the initiating of a disciplinary inquiry against Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) K.B. Keerthiratne, who had ordered the Police officers to use lethal force. The interim report found that four Type 56 assault rifles of the Police Department had been fired during the Rambukkana incident and that some of the officers who had discharged their weapons under orders had claimed that they were not competent in their use. The interim report also recommends taking measures to prevent any such incidents occurring in the future, including issuing strict guidelines and directives to Sri Lanka Police on the use of lethal force. The Commission also requests the Attorney General to use the findings of the interim report of the expert committee when directing the Police on investigations against SSP K.B. Keerthiratne and all Police officers responsible for shooting at the protesters. The victim of the shooting, 41-year-old Chaminda Lakshan, an unarmed protester who had moved away from the scene of the unrest at the time of being shot, was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.     


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