The Sri Lanka Police were advised by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to take immediate action to stop the recurrence of such conduct, pointing out that using children as shields during public protests is a serious offense under local law.
These instructions were given by President Wickremesinghe during a special discussion on the defense of children’s rights on Tuesday (12) at the Presidential Secretariat.
The President emphasized that safeguarding children is the primary duty of a government by highlighting sub-section 13 of Article 27 of the Constitution, which states, “The State shall promote with special care the interests of children and youth, to ensure their full development, physical, mental, moral, religious, and social, and to protect them from exploitation and discrimination.”
Additionally, steps were taken to entrust the Sri Lanka Police and other relevant government organizations with the task of protecting children.
The President supported the need for a law to safeguard children’s rights, stop them from being used for sex abuse, and uphold their basic freedoms.
Additionally, he suggested that the officials speak with the Attorney General about this matter and take the appropriate action.
The President called attention to the children’s detention, who were kept apart from their parents after being arrested for trying to enter India illegally.
He stated that immediate action must be taken to correct the situation and that plans must be made to return the kids to their parents.
The President also asked that special attention be given to the rights and education of children in orphanages, and he instructed the officials to submit a report on those who have special needs there.
In order to avoid encountering challenging circumstances, President Wickremesinghe emphasized the necessity of providing formal training to those in charge of these children’s homes.
Geetha Kumarasinghe, the Minister of State for Women and Children’s Affairs, Saman Ekanayake, the President’s Secretary, and representatives from the line institutions were present during this discussion.
