IPA donates Rs. 6m for tsunami victims

by Sarath Malalasekera

The International Police Association (IPA) has donated over rupees six million collected by the Association to be distributed among the Sri Lankan Police personnel and their families who are affected following the tsunami tragedy on last December 26.

A section of affected police personnel who were invited for the ceremony yesterday received monies from Inspector General of Police Chandra Fernado who was the chief guest at the ceremony at the Police Headquarters.

The Acting Secretary General of Sri Lankan Section IPA Srijah Senanayake addressing the ceremony said that the recent and unexpected tsunami debacle affected some of the IPA members and a number of Police Officers who are non-members of the IPA in Sri Lanka.

However, true to the motto of the IPA which is Servo-Per-Amikeko, meaning service in friendship the IPA world body rose to the occasion on request by IPA Sri Lankan Secretary Hema Dias and called upon all member countries to contribute generously towards helping out the IPA member countries affected by the tsunami. Out of the countries affected it was found that Sri Lanka was the only country with membership in the international body, we were therefore lucky to be singled out to receive the monies collected by the sections world over.

Senanayake said that with the visit of International President IPA Michael Odysseos to Sri Lanka recently visited the affected areas with Deputy Commandant Senior SP Nihal Samarakoon and with me (Srijah Senanayake) to see damage areas and spoke to several officers, their wives and the children affected by the tsunami.

On their return to Colombo they met Senior DIG Jayantha Wickremaratne who provided with a detailed list of affected police personnel. According to the detailed report about 153 police personnel and their families were affected following the tsunami, Senanayake added.

The IPA International President had directed the local IPA authorities to distribute the IPA funds not only among the IPA members but also with the other Police officers and families who are affected, he said.

"We will be visiting the other provincial capitals in due course to distribute the balance monies and impress upon all police personnel the advantages of being members of the IPA, " Senanayake said.

IGP Chandra Fernando thanked IPA International President Michael Odysseos and the Sri Lankan IPA members for their kind gesture in arranging the donation ceremony. Senanayaka thanked Senior DIG Jayantha Wickremaratne and his team for their tireless support given to him in order to distribute the donations given by the International IPA.