Secretary to the Ministry of Defence General Kamal Gunaratne (Rtd) announced that the Ministry of Defence has implemented several measures, including allowances, medical rehabilitation, and lifelong care, to ensure justice for all soldiers disabled during the war. He highlighted that over the past two years, the Ministry of Defence has taken numerous steps to stabilize the country both economically and politically, providing a safe and secure environment for the people.
General (retired) Kamal Gunaratne made these statements at a news conference titled ‘Two Years of Progress and Way Forward’. He emphasized that the Ministry of Defence, guided by the vision of ‘a peaceful land where everyone is protected,’ has been instrumental in these advancements.
Addressing the media briefing Gen. Gunaratne said,
“It must be noted that the Ministry of Defence plays a leading role in preventing human trafficking and illegal drug trafficking. The three armed forces, including the Navy, have been pivotal in combating the drug menace, which has received significant attention recently, through the arrest of drug traffickers and the seizure of narcotics.
In 2023 alone, the tri-forces operations resulted in the seizure of nearly 560 kg of heroin, 3350 kg of cannabis, 5220 kg of Kerala cannabis, 60 kg of crystal methamphetamine, 151,000 drug capsules, and 6650 litres of illicit liquor. By July 2024, approximately 270 kg of heroin, 3640 kg of cannabis, 12,720 kg of Kerala cannabis, 150 kg of crystal methamphetamine, 43,600 drug capsules, and 5000 litres of illicit liquor had been seized.
The contribution of the armed forces in ending the Thirty Year War remains unforgettable. In addition to honouring the fallen war heroes, we must protect those who survived but were injured. Among the 60,000 war heroes wounded in the war, approximately 10,000 are bed-ridden or confined to wheelchairs. Rehabilitation centres have been established in Attidiya, Anuradhapura, Kamburupitiya, and Kurunegala to provide medical rehabilitation and lifelong care for these war heroes.
Additionally, the dependents of military personnel who died before the age of 55 while serving the country, as well as those who retired due to medical reasons, will receive a fixed monthly allowance equivalent to the salary and allowances those individuals were receiving while they were alive. This measure ensures that justice is served for all soldiers disabled during the war.
Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Ltd has provided re-employment opportunities to over 3,000 soldiers retiring from military service. Given the current situation in the Red Sea, there is now an opportunity to deploy 550 Sea Marshals, and recruitment for these positions is currently underway.
Furthermore, the quality of educational facilities at Sir John Kotelawala Defence University has been significantly enhanced, allowing more students to pursue their education. The recruitment of civilian medical students has also commenced. It is noteworthy that more than 1,000 out-patients receive free treatment daily at the Kotelawala Defence University Hospital, which was established for the clinical training of medical students.
It must be noted that the recruitment of medical students to Sir John Kotelawala Defence University is conducted solely on the basis of the Z score recommended by the University Grants Commission, and only highly skilled, professional, and accomplished professors have been appointed as lecturers.
I would also like to mention that since 2012 to date 286 foreign students have been enrolled at Sir John Kotelawala Defence University due to its high standard of education.
Additionally, the United Nations has made the necessary arrangements to resume the peacekeeping missions that had been suspended. So far, a contingent of 301 troops has been deployed for peacekeeping duties in Lebanon, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
Furthermore, the National Task Force Against Human Trafficking operates under my chairmanship. This task force has taken all necessary steps to combat human trafficking in Sri Lanka, enabling the country to maintain the US State Department’s Tier 2 status for three consecutive years.
Furthermore, measures have been taken to address the issue of Sri Lankans being forcibly held in Myanmar and exploited in online scams. Our focus has been on rescuing these individuals, which has recently gained significant attention. Consequently, we successfully rescued 40 individuals and brought them back to Sri Lanka. However, another group of people has travelled to this area through brokers in Dubai, and 54 more individuals remain to be rescued.
In this regard, I have discussed the matter with the Prime Minister and the National Defence Secretary of Myanmar. Diplomatic requests and appeals were made, both officially and as a former military officer, to secure their release. The Defence Secretary of Myanmar has informed me that the Prime Minister has advised to intervene and take all necessary steps to address this issue.
Additionally, there is a concern regarding former military personnel caught in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. We are collaborating with the Ministry of Defence of Russia on this matter. We have also requested the Russian Embassy to notify the Ministry of Defence if any ex-military personnel have applied for tourist visas to Russia.
In addition to this, the Ministry of Defence also oversees disaster management activities in the country. The National Building Research Organization (NBRO) serves as the National Centre for Landslide Risk Management under the Disaster Management Division of the Ministry of Defence. Currently, NBRO is identifying and monitoring landslide-prone areas in Sri Lanka, issuing early warnings, and conducting mitigation activities. The “Landslide Risk Reduction through Stabilization Techniques” project, implemented by NBRO with financial support from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), is working on stabilizing 128 landslide sites. So far, stabilization has been completed at 46 of these sites.
Furthermore, the three armed forces are providing labour for various religious shrines and school renovations across the country upon request and will continue to do so in the future. They are also actively involved in disaster response, including immediate actions to reduce the impact of natural disasters, rescuing affected individuals, providing relief, preparing for disaster situations, implementing mitigation strategies, and resettling displaced persons. They identify vulnerable areas and evacuate people to minimise loss of life, though property damage.
Meanwhile, at the request of the Ministry of Health, the Army is providing labour for the construction of a ten-storey building at Matara Hospital, and the Navy is contributing labour for the construction of a ten-storey building at the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital. Additionally, the six-storey building of the Maharagama Apeksha Hospital, constructed with the labour contribution of the Air Force, is almost complete and is scheduled to be commissioned next week.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Major General C.A. Wickramasinghe, Defence Ministry Senior Assistant Secretary A.M.C.W.P. Abeykoon, and several other officials participated in this event.
