‘State of Emergency’ Won’t be Extended After Thursday

Law and Order Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara said yesterday that the ten-day emergency declared on last Tuesday (6) will not be extended from midnight Thursday (15) as the country has fully returned to normal after communal clashes last week in Kandy and elsewhere.

He said it was not deemed necessary to continue the ‘State of Emergency’ any further. He said thus “I had a discussion with the IGP and senior police officers this morning to assess the current security situation in the country. We are of the view that the country’s security situation is normal right now and therefore the extending of the ‘State of Emergency’ which will expire on Thursday(15) will not be necessary”.

Further the Minister Maddumabandara discussed the possibility of lifting the restrictions placed on social media with the Police. A decision will be taken in this regard after the President Maithripala Sirisena returned to the island from his official visit to Japan, he concluded