The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has passed a resolution calling on Sri Lanka’s Public Security Minister, Tiran Alles, to stand down after encouraging police to shoot at suspects, adding that his statement is “in direct contradiction to the fundamental principles enshrined in the Constitution”.

Speaking before Sri Lanka’s notorious Special Task Force in Katukurundu, Alles told officers:

“eliminating criminals from the country is not a sin. Don’t be afraid to use the weapon in your hand for the right thing, and we stand by you”.

BASL responded stating:

“The Minister’s statement perpetuates a dangerous misconception that justice, sentencing, and punishment lie beyond the purview of the judiciary and can be administered arbitrarily, without adherence to due process”. 

The resolution passed by BASL urges the minister to retract his recent statement which he had made at a pasing out parade in Katukurundu Special Task Force Training Camp and to reassign the portfolio by removing him. 

“His repeated statements encouraging impunity and callous disregard for the rule of law, demonstrates that he is no longer suitable to hold that office” the statement read. 

BASL’s statement also expressed alarm over “the increase in extrajudicial killings, custodial deaths, and incidents of torture perpetrated by law enforcement in recent times”. 

“The Minister’s statement perpetuates a dangerous misconception that justice, sentencing, and punishment lay beyond the purview of the judiciary and can be administered arbitrarily, without adherence to due process” the statement reads.

BASL further added:

“The recurring pattern of irresponsible, arbitrary, and misleading remarks by the Minister underscores the urgent need for corrective action. As a custodian of public security, the Minister is duty-bound to serve the interests of the populace. However, the repeated dissemination of such misguided messages not only undermines public trust but also misguides law enforcement personnel.”

This is not the first time that Alles has made such statements. He recently instructed the security forces to  “stop fondling weapons and use them” after he called for the intensification of the military-led operation Yukthiya. While addressing a workshop held in Ratnapura as part of a Community Police Awareness program, Alles told the police that firearms had been issued so they could be used. He told the gathering that he would bring an end to the underworld menace during his tenure as the Minister of Public Security. 

The association argued that the minister’s repeated statements encouraging impunity and callous disregard for the rule of law, demonstrate that he is no longer suitable to hold that office.Alles also came under fire for the drug operation Yukthiya, Whilst the Sri Lankan government maintains that it aims to reduce crime, Operation Yukthiya has come under heavy criticism for its heavy-handed tactics which resulted in the arrest of over 30,000 individuals. Security forces have reportedly conducted raids without search warrants, detaining suspected drug sellers and users, with hundreds sent to military-run rehabilitation centres.

Read BASL's full statement here.