Govt. attempting to militarise public service

• Public servents asked to follow STF orders

By Yohan Perera   

With the setting up of the special task force (STF) on building a secure country, disciplined, virtuous and lawful society, the government has militarised the entire public service, former MP Lakshman Kiriella told a news conference yesterday.    

“The task force is led by Rtd. Maj. Gen. Kamal Gunaratne. The other 12 members are Army Commander Lieut. Gen. Shavendra Silva, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Piyal de Silva, Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sumangala Dias, Acting IGP C.D. Wickramaratne, Maj. Gen. Vinitha Ravipriya, Maj. Gen. Jagath de Alwis, Maj. Gen. Suresh Sally, Maj. Gen. A. S. Hewavitharana, Captain S.J. Kumara, Air Commodore M.D.J. Wasage, DIG T.C.A. Dhanapala and DIG Waruna Jayasundara.   

The gazette setting up the task force says public servants should carry out the orders of this task force which has been given power to lodge direct complaints to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa if they do not follow its orders. This is nothing but an act of the militarisation of the public service,” he said.   

Mr. Kiriella said the gazette has not defined the task of preventing acts against the society. “Is the task force given the power to monitor the media,” he asked adding that deploying them to fight drug trafficking was of course acceptable.