State Minister of Defense Premitha Bandara Tennakoon speaking at a conference said that attention should be focussed on students from the North-East to join the 'National Cadets Corps'.
During a press conference held at the Presidential Media Center last week, titled 'Collective Path to a stable country, the Defence minister noted that stricter laws should be implemented to curb illegal human and drug trafficking. L
The minister also claimed that following the end of the war, measures were taken to "right-size the security forces" and that "soldiers won't be evacuated in this circumstance". The minister also noted that security personnel located at public 'institutions and services' were there to "maintain the security forces' reputation ".
The minister also added, "Attention has been focused on encouraging students to join the National Cadet Corps (NCC) in the Northern and Eastern areas and deploying them for social intelligence to combat various threats that endangers the youth"
Last year, the secretary of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Oman was arrested for his involvement in a human trafficking racket.
Edirachchilage Kushan is alleged to have trafficked women from Sri Lanka, seeking foreign employment, into prostitution. The women would be sent tourist visas in Oman and then entrapped in sex trafficking.
The selling and use of drugs across the North-East have been rising since the end of the armed conflict. The former Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran stated in 2015 that Tamil youth are being pushed into drugs and prostitution with the help of the Sri Lankan military and in recent years high profile arrests of Sri Lankan military and Police for drug possessions are common. Over a dozen Sri Lankan police officers from the country’s Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB) were arrested for their alleged involvement in an illegal drug ring. Speaking in parliament lin 2020 JVP MP, Vijitha Herath, claimed that the murder of Makandure Madush, a notorious drug “kingpin” who was under police custody at the Maligawatte Housing complex, was done to protect 80 politicians complicit in drug trafficking. The rise in drug use and trafficking is alleged to have been connected to senior Sri Lankan politicians.
Vast swathes of the Sri Lankan military also stand accused of war crimes and responsible for the Genocide of Tamils across the North-East. Militarisation is rampant and despite the ongoing economic crisis, the military continues to interfere in the public life of Tamil across the North-East and stifle economic development.
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