Tear gas used by police during Aragalaya expired 17 years ago

7 March 2023 09:32 pm - 12 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The expiry dates of the tear gas fired by the police in the Galle Face struggle had passed way over 20 years with some manufacturing dates going back to 2000. And 6,000 such canisters had been used in the first four months of the Aragalaya alone compared to 2, 000 rounds fired during the last 10 years, an exclusive report revealed today.

The police have purchased about 40, 000 canisters of tear gas in the last ten years since 2012 and over 8, 000 had been used in various protests since then, out of which over 6, 000 had been fired during the height of the Aragalaya from the incident outside ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence in Mirihana in March 20022 to July 2022.

An exclusive report released by the investigation team of the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR) led by freelance journalist Tharindu Jayawardena with the backing of the Right to Information Commission disclosed many startling facts about the condition of the tear gas used by the police during the Aragalaya.

The report titled ‘Tear Gas – Tears of Twenty Million’ was released to the public at the CSR Auditorium yesterday, that revealed the police have used tear gas in numerous instances, which were supposed to have passed its expiry dates about 10 to 20 years.

Journalist Tharindu Jayawardena said a special investigation was commenced by them last September after victims of these protests complained that they had immensely suffered from the tear gas used in the crowd dispersion.

“As a journalist I have gone to cover many Inter University Student Federation protest campaigns in the last decade and had been subjected to numerous tear gas attacks. But the ones we experienced during the Aragalaya are far more serious and painful than those in the past. Therefore, we felt the urgency to run an investigation about the tear gas used as many alleged that the police were using expired canisters,” Jayawardena said.

So we sought information from the Police Department on several occasions through the Right to Information Act but the latter didn’t furnish with relevant and adequate information. Thereafter during four appeal hearings of the RTI Commission, the police were ordered to furnish full details but some vulnerable information has not been provided to date.

The RTI Commission will act legally through the Magistrate Courts against the Police Department in due course, Attorney Manushika Cooray addressing the gathering said.

The expiry period of a canister is usually five years but we have evidence that police used gas purchased in 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017 and 2019.

This is clear violation of public health as these gases are used to disperse crowds and not to kill them with respiratory and other complications. Whereas about two to three deaths reported during the Aragalaya were owing to complications that rose in tear gas attacks.

Rev. Father Rohan Silva of the CSR and Attorney Suren D. Perera also addressed the gathering. (Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana)

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Comments - 12

Dana Wednesday, 08 March 2023 01:48 AM

Those affected should institute legal proceedings against the police, and the officer who ordered in particular for short term

BuffaloaCitizen Wednesday, 08 March 2023 07:35 AM

The 1983 riots that killed thousands of Tamils was State Sponsored. This activity of firing expired Tear Gas on thousands of public is another State cruelty.

Citizen Wednesday, 08 March 2023 07:47 AM

Will justice be done over this tear gas crime? Domestic cooking gas set fire to houses claiming lives of many. No one was punished for wilfully distributing substandard gas. But the price went up 4 fold.

sam Wednesday, 08 March 2023 08:09 AM

Govt has to spend more money in hospitals to treat those falling ill as a result of tear gas.

Shera Wednesday, 08 March 2023 08:56 AM

Obviously, there was no other way to subdue an unruly crowd and in an emergency. It is no use investigating and analyzing. No one died from these gasses and no one is permanently injured. It's best to focus on rebuilding the country and being productive citizens moving forward.

dushman Wednesday, 08 March 2023 10:11 AM

Are you suggesting that someone should die in order to conduct an investigation? If that is your implication, please reconsider and think carefully before making such comments. Additionally, go and buy some expired medcine or food item because its also useful for rebuilding your so called country

Sandy Wednesday, 08 March 2023 11:07 AM

Engaging in violence and playing victim is a very old tactic.

Dee Wednesday, 08 March 2023 12:21 PM

After hearing this news, my nextdoor neighbor started to cough. He now wants to try getting some compensation!. I said , he will need to prove that he was a direct hit. (He didn't even sight the aragaley) . He said that he will be compensated after local elections!

LankanLover Wednesday, 08 March 2023 12:34 PM

No wonder and and only Sri Lanka.

Buddhist Wednesday, 08 March 2023 04:38 PM

Take this to the International Human Rights Commission. This is a major HR violation and UN convention.

Sudda Wednesday, 08 March 2023 08:53 PM

We want proper tear gas. How can they use expired ones. It is our human right to get quality teargas!

Man Thursday, 09 March 2023 09:46 AM

Need to file a case against the IGP and the police department as a whole and notify the UN Human Rights commission about the democracy in Sri Lanka, through out the country.

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Tear gas used by police during Aragalaya expired 17 years ago

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