Mountains of missing guns

Hardly a day passes in this country without major drug detections and underworld killings. Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya, speaking at this year’s Police Day ceremony in Colombo on Thursday (03), said police had seized large amounts of narcotics, including 1,416 kg of Crystal Methamphetamine, 946 kg of heroin, and 1,282 kg of cannabis and taken into custody 1,612 illegal firearms, including T-56 assault rifles and pistols, so far this year.

Sri Lanka is awash with illegal firearms, which have found their way into the underworld during the past several decades. Protracted armed conflicts led to an exponential increase in the number of lethal weapons in the wrong hands.

Immediately after the 2024 regime change, the MPs who had obtained repeater guns from the Defence Ministry were asked to return those weapons, and they readily complied for obvious reasons. But those guns account for only a fraction of the weapons issued to politicians and others over the decades. In January 2019, the then Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando disclosed that about 4,700 pistols and revolvers had been licensed but there was no information about those who had obtained them. Some individuals possessed as many as 15 small firearms each, he said.

One may recall that in 2023, the then State Minister Pramitha Tennakoon informed Parliament that the defence authorities had issued about 700 firearms to 154 politicians in the late 1980s, when the JVP went on a killing spree, but none of them had been returned. That figure cannot be accurate. According to anecdotal evidence, thousands of firearms were issued to politicians under threat during that period, and almost all of them have gone missing.

In the late 1980s, the JVP did not spare anyone who refused to obey its illegal orders. Its death-dealing sparrow units physically eliminated anyone who had the courage to voice dissent. Some political activists threatened by the JVP banded together to protect themselves, and the armed groups they formed, such as the PRRA (People’s Revolutionary Red Army) became as ruthless as the JVP killing squads; they eventually helped beat the JVP at its own game. Some of them switched their allegiance to the UNP, and worked as its shock troops.

The leftist parties and the SLFP, too, had to protect themselves against the JVP hit squads. The UNP set in motion a Caravan of Death, which scoured the country, killing JVP activists and suspects. What happened to the firearms used by pro-UNP vigilantes to carry out those extrajudicial killings?

Chris Smith, an expert on the proliferation of firearms, especially in South Asia has in his report, In the Shadow of a Cease-fire: The Impacts of Small Arms Availability and Misuse in Sri Lanka, has revealed that the weapons given to politicians in the late 1908s numbered more than 11,000. Many of them were not returned. The National Commission against the Proliferation of Illicit Small Arms (NCAPISA), established by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in 2004, once quoted a senior police officer attached to the Police Central Armoury at the time as having said that 80% of those weapons had been returned. Even if so, going by Smith’s figure, more than 2,200 weapons have gone unaccounted for.

The proliferation of illicit firearms in Sri Lanka can be attributed to several key factors, according to researchers; they include gunrunning, illegal operations carried out by rogue elements in the police and the armed forces, local arms manufacturing, and criminals gaining access to arms caches of the LTTE. It may be recalled that the Colombo Crime Division produced 12 suspects before the Colombo Chief Magistrate on March 22, 2019, for having supplied weapons retrieved from buried LTTE arms caches in Kilinochchi to criminal gangs elsewhere. It was revealed in January 2025 that as many as 73 T-56 assault rifles had gone missing from an unnamed army camp. Soon after the decimation of the JVP’s military wing in 1989, a police sergeant sold a large stock of firearms, seized from the JVP and stored in the Kuliyapitiya police station, to underworld gangs at Rs. 15,000 each. The police could recover only some of those weapons.

The police must go all out to find the illegal firearms used by the JVP during its second uprising (1987-89). Most of the JVP’s arms caches have not been traced. SJB MP Dayasiri Jayasekara told Parliament on 27 Feb. 2025 that more than 2,000 illegal firearms looted by the JVP between 1987 and 1989 had gone missing. The JVP attacked several police stations and military camps and grabbed weapons. In April 1987, it seized the entire arsenal at the Pallekele army camp. Now that the JVP-led NPP has formed a government and launched a campaign to eliminate gun violence, the Defence Ministry may be able to ascertain information about those missing firearms, as we argued in a previous editorial comment.

The NCAPISA dealt extensively with the issue of illegal weapons in circulation in Sri Lanka. Its survey report contains valuable information, which, however, needs to be updated. Defence authorities should study this document thoroughly and commission a fresh survey on illicit firearms while carrying out operations to neutralise criminal gangs and seize lethal weapons in their possession.

The need for the police and the defence bigwigs to adopt a broader and more strategic approach to ridding the country of the scourge of illegal firearms, which snuff out lives almost daily, cannot be overstated.

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Anjalie Munasinghe appointed Secretary of CIPR International

Mark and Comm, Sri Lanka’s leading boutique public relations and communications agency, today announced that Anjalie Munasinghe, its Manager, PR & Social Intelligence, has been appointed Secretary of CIPR International, the international chapter of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR).

Munasinghe brings more than ten years of experience in PR, account management and media monitoring across some of Sri Lanka’s leading agencies. She joined Mark and Comm most recently from AdFactors PR Sri Lanka, where she served as Consultant, Digital Reputation Management, overseeing real time media intelligence and analysis for clients. Before that she was Manager, Public Relations at MullenLowe Sri Lanka.

Her career also spans Senior Public Relations Executive at HardTalk, close to eight years as Public Relations Executive at NGage Strategic Alliance, where her clients and her early training as an AV Coordinator at Ogilvy Sri Lanka. She is a specialist in social listening, crisis communications, sentiment analysis and real time media monitoring, and continues to contribute as an expert commentary or voice to the national media.

CIPR International connects public relations practitioners across five continents and is one of the largest and most diverse sectoral groups within the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, with close to 1,000 members. Mark and Comm’s Managing Director, Thanzyl Thajudeen, also sits on the CIPR International Committee, making Munasinghe’s appointment the second held by someone from the agency and from Sri Lanka.

Taazima Kala, Chair of CIPR International, said: “Anjalie brings the kind of practitioner experience and regional insight the Committee relies on. Her work across Sri Lanka’s public relations industry, particularly in crisis communications and media intelligence, speaks for itself, and we look forward to her contribution as Secretary.”

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Kusal Mendis, Binura Fernando ruled out of T20I series in England

Kusal Mendis and Binura Fernando have been ruled out of Sri Lanka’s upcoming T20I series against England,  with the SLC saying that the two were “still undergoing rehabilitation” after injuries picked up at the 2026 Lanka Premier League.

The update came just over a day after the two were named in the 16-member squad, with Kusal retained as captain of both the T20I and the ODI sides.Charith Asalanka, who had returned to the vice-captain’s position for the series, will now lead the side in the T20Is. Though Kusal hasn’t been ruled out of the ODIs just yet, were he to miss out, Asalanka, as the designated vice-captain, might step in there too.

Kusal has been out of action since July 19 with a right hamstring injury, while Binura hasn’t played since August 5, SLC putting his absence down to a back injury.

Pavan Rathnayake, the 24-year-old top-order batter, has replaced Kusal in the T20I touring party, while Dilshan Madushanka, the fast bowler who was in the squad for the Tests against India recently but didn’t get to play, has come in for Binura.

Asalanka returned to the leadership group three months after being deposed as ODI captain and six months after being sidelined from the T20I unit. He last played a T20I in February this year, but is currently part of St Lucia Kings’ line-up at CPL 2026. His returns have been mediocre, though: 93 runs at a strike rate of 124 from six innings.

The T20Is will be played on September 15 (Southampton), September 17 (Cardiff) and September 19 (Manchester), while the ODIs will take place on September 22 (Chester-le-Street), September 24 (Leeds) and September 27 (The Oval).

Sri Lanka T20I squad for the tour of England

Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara (wk), Lahiru Udara (wk), Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka (capt), Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Tharindu Rathnayake, Dushmantha Chameera, Eshan Malinga, Nuwan Thushara, Dilshan Madushanka

(Cricinfo)

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In Memory of Dr Upatissa Pethiyagoda

It is with a deep sense of sadness that I record the passing of Dr Upatissa Pethiyagoda, who died on 27 August 2026 at the age of 94. To many, he was a distinguished scientist, accomplished administrator, diplomat and public intellectual. To me, he was much more than that.

Dr Pethiyagoda was a proud product of Trinity College, Kandy. At a time when a first class in Botany was a rarity, he obtained one and subsequently pursued postgraduate studies in London. His scientific career reflected not only his knowledge but, more importantly, an enquiring and restless mind that was never satisfied with simply accepting what was known.

In the 1970s, he headed the Plant Physiology Department of the Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka. He was part of a formidable team of scientists that included Drs R L de Silva, R L Wickramasinghe, P Sivapalan, Tilak Wettasinghe and W Danthanarayana. They were scientists who contributed enormously to the development of the tea industry in Sri Lanka, and Dr Pethiyagoda stood comfortably among them.

In 1978, he moved to the Coconut Research Institute as its Director. It was there that I had the privilege of working with him. Those years left a lasting impression on me.

Dr Pethiyagoda was, in every sense, a complete scientist. Although his formal specialisation was plant physiology, he was remarkably comfortable discussing almost anything scientific. What distinguished him was his curiosity. He questioned the science behind the ordinary things that most of us simply accepted. I remember his asking questions such as, why is an orange green in Sri Lanka? It was typical of him: an apparently simple observation would lead him to ask what lay behind it.

That curiosity never left him.

After his tenure at the CRI, he undertook an FAO assignment in the Middle East, working on the improvement of date palms. There he was exposed to agriculture under conditions of severe water scarcity. He pursued this further during a visit to Israel, learning about agronomic practices suited to such environments. Later, when he worked with the Mahaweli Authority, he was able to translate that knowledge into practice, introducing high-value horticultural crops to Systems B and C.

What impressed me was not merely that he acquired knowledge, but that he connected knowledge from one context to another and turned it into practical solutions. His enquiring mind and analytical ability enabled him to do this with remarkable effectiveness.

He was equally impressive as a communicator. Dr Pethiyagoda was an eloquent speaker, whether he was talking about science, agriculture, public policy or the everyday affairs of our country. His speeches were often laced with wit, humour and the occasional tongue-in-cheek remark. But beneath the humour was a very serious mind. He was forthright in his opinions and, importantly, he was not afraid to express them, whatever the possible repercussions.

His contributions to the media demonstrated this courage.

Writing about the travel to London by a former President, he observed:

“Where a person enjoys immunity by virtue of his position, this carries a reciprocal obligation to exercise an abundance of exemplary behaviour. In effect, immunity is best exercised, when the need to invoke it, is never allowed to arise.”

[Immunity Does Not Confer Impunity – Colombo Telegraph]

That was quintessential Pethiyagoda—precise, pointed and impossible to misunderstand.

He was equally outspoken about the government’s decision to ban inorganic fertiliser with ‘immediate effect’. He was deeply distressed by what he believed would be the consequences for farmers, particularly the poorer farming community. He would speak about it almost every day, driven not by political considerations but by his conviction that science and evidence had been disregarded.

In one of his writings on the subject, he remarked:

“What the ‘Vipathmaga’ caper taught us was that advice of sundry ‘Experts’ can be disastrous. Professors of Surgery, clergymen and Pediatricians are not the best equipped to advise on fertilisers, as much as a Soil Scientist should not prescribe treatment for a sick child.’ [Some Lessons That Can Be Learned Even From Disasters – Colombo Telegraph]

And in another article, his frustration was summed up in the memorable words:

“Stupidity, like History, has a way of repeating itself.”

[Unscrambling eggs – Colombo Telegraph]

These were not simply provocative statements. They reflected a scientist who believed deeply that public decisions, particularly those affecting agriculture and the livelihoods of farmers, should be based on evidence and sound scientific advice.

Perhaps, what I will remember most about Dr Pethiyagoda is that his curiosity survived almost to the very end of his life.

Very recently, he was still asking questions and pursuing ideas. He was interested in the possible genetic differences between the waraka and wela varieties of jak, because he wondered whether the wela variety might have commercial potential for cellulose extraction. He was disappointed that he could not find relevant scientific literature in Sri Lanka. More than the particular subject, what struck me was that at 94 he was still thinking about a scientific question, looking for evidence and wondering whether an apparently ordinary resource could have an important national application. He lamented the lack of interest among scientists and academics in such questions of national importance. That concern, too, was very much part of who he was.

Dr Pethiyagoda also served as President of the National Academy of Sciences, Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, he was unable to complete his term because he was appointed Ambassador to Italy, with representation at the Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome. Even in that role, he remained very much the scientist. I understand that he made a significant contribution to FAO discussions. As Ambassador, he also had the unenviable task of entertaining Sri Lankan Ministers of Agriculture who attended FAO sessions. I know from my own conversations with him that those informal dinners were not merely social occasions. He would discuss agricultural issues with the Ministers, and I have little doubt that his views—and the force with which he expressed them—sometimes influenced their thinking.

Looking back, what I admired most about Dr Pethiyagoda was not any particular position he held or any particular achievement. It was the way he thought.

He questioned.
He analysed.
He connected ideas.
He challenged conventional wisdom.
And he was willing to say what he believed to be true.

He also demonstrated that science should not remain confined to laboratories, research papers or academic institutions. For him, science was a way of looking at the world and, ultimately, a means of improving the lives of people.

It is perhaps ironic that, only a few months ago, he wrote about “The Cost of Dying”, as distinct from the “Cost of Living”. In that article, he reflected on the manner in which our mortal remains should be disposed of, observing: “I am in two minds regarding the manner in which the mortal remains are disposed of, ‘according to the will of the deceased’. But with the cessation of the breath, ownership or tenancy ceases.” Even in contemplating death, he brought his characteristic questioning mind to the subject. What particularly caught my attention, however, was his explanation of the Buddhist practice of holding dânes (almsgivings) for monks of the local temple in the seventh day and third month following a death. I had never really thought about the significance of this practice before. That, too, was typical of Dr Pethiyagoda: he could take something that we had accepted as ordinary and familiar and make us stop, think and see it differently.

His passing has created a colossal vacuum in Sri Lanka’s scientific community. People of his intellectual breadth, curiosity, courage and independence are rare. We may not always have agreed with everything he said, but we could never doubt that he had thought deeply about it and that he had the courage of his convictions.

For those of us who had the privilege of knowing him, there is sadness in his passing. But there is also gratitude—for having known such an extraordinary mind, for having learnt from him, and for having witnessed at close quarters his unwavering commitment to science and to the development of our country.

I shall remember Dr Pethiyagoda with great affection and immense respect.

Ranjith Mahindapala
Past President, National Academy of Sciences of Sri Lanka.

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New Court of Appeal Judge Sajeewani Dilka Lakmali Sworn In

Ms Sajeewani Dilka Lakmali Karunannayake was sworn in as a Judge of the Court of Appeal before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat this afternoon (03).

She previously served as an Additional Solicitor General at the Attorney General’s Department.

The appointment has been made to fill a vacancy on the Court of Appeal.

Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake was also present on the occasion.

(President’s Media Division)

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Cool your skin …

This heat is NO joke, so let me keep my readers’ skin cool, clear, and glowing with 04 easy Homemade Beauty Tips.

* Cucumber and Rose Water Cooling Toner:

For: Sunburn, redness, and dehydration.

Blend ½ cucumber, strain the juice, and then mix it with 02 tablespoons of rose water. Keep in fridge and spray on face 03 times a day.

Why it works: Cucumber cools instantly. Rose water hydrates and calms angry, heat-irritated skin.

* Aloe Vera and Yoghurt Soothing Pack:

For: Prickly heat, rashes, and oily skin.

Mix 02 tablespoons of fresh aloe vera gel with 01 tablespoon plain yoghurt and a pinch of turmeric. Apply on clean face and neck with your fingers, or a brush. Avoid the eye area and lips. Leave for 15 minutes until it feels cool and slightly tight. Rinse with cold water, and pat dry.

If the prickly heat is on back, chest or arms, you can use it there, too! Aloe vera and yoghurt is gentle enough for anywhere the heat rash shows up.

Why it works: Aloe vera heals, yoghurt removes sweat and grime, while turmeric fights pimples.

* Mint and Green Tea Ice Cubes:

For: Puffy eyes and open pores.

Brew strong green tea, add crushed mint leaves, and then freeze in an ice tray. Wrap 01 cube in cloth and glide over face for 02 minutes.

Why it works: The cold shrinks pores and reduces puffiness, while mint and green tea are anti-bacterial and so refreshing.

* Coconut Water and Honey Hydration Mask:

For: Dry, tired, sun-exposed skin.

Mix 02 tablespoons of fresh coconut water and 01 teaspoon honey. Gently dab on clean face and neck, with cotton wool, avoiding eyes and lips. Leave for 10 minutes and then rinse with cool water, and pat dry.

By the way, always use fresh ingredients. Do a small patch test on your hand, first. And please drink lots of water, too — beauty starts from inside.

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'Multiple victims' after horror shooting in Minneapolis with police officers injured

Police have asked that the area be avoided.

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