Pride and professionalism for the police
Prof Rajiva WIJESINHA
Among the many statements that came out after the horrifying murder
of Lasantha Wickramatunge, I was particularly struck by that issued by
the Civil Rights Movement of Sri Lanka. CRM started nearly forty years
ago, when Human Rights were not fashionable, and it has continued to
work without much fanfare or financial inputs, which perhaps helps it to
be comparatively objective in its straightforward commitment to Rights.
On this occasion, it made a simple but unarguable point in its
heading, when it asserted that police professionalism was needed. Though
it quoted from one of the most adversarial statements issued after the
event, that of ‘Reporters without Borders’, it omitted the more
contentious sections and referred only to government allowing an
‘outrageous level of impunity to develop as regards violence against the
press’.
CRM, instead of going on in accordance with a political agenda, notes
merely the ‘totally unacceptable inefficiency displayed by the police
recently in preventing crimes or apprehending criminals’.
Political points
This general fact is omitted by those who wish to make political
points. One columnist pointed out the number of deaths of politicians in
opposition that have gone unsolved, but failed to note that the same
applies to the deaths of Lakshman Kadirgamar and Jeyaraj Fernandopulle
and D M Dissanayake, and even, to go back in time, Neelan Tiruchelvam
and C V Gooneratne.
What is the reason for this? Whilst some failures may be due to
politics, and others to a lack of will, there are certainly enough
reasons for which the police alone cannot be held responsible.
CRM refers to the fact that there is now a larger force, but this
very expansion has caused problems because, as senior policemen tell you
when discussing current shortcomings, the training period has been
shortened to a pitiful span.
The old detective course in which so much pride was taken was stopped
several years ago, and there has been no concerted effort to develop
further training to the extent needed by modern criminal techniques.
Necessary priority
Some of this neglect have arisen because of the obviously necessary
priority accorded in the last decade to training of the armed forces.
Thus, while we obviously have a professional armed service, that not
only functions effectively, but also does so with full understanding of
national and international law, training towards similar professionalism
has not been extended to the police, through no fault of its own.
The so called Donor Police Support Group, which just drank a lot of
tea together some years back, managed only a couple of initiatives.
The success of one of these, the Swedish Project on Scene of Crime
Investigation, suggests how the police would benefit from more training,
in investigation, interrogation and even prosecution. But, with
resources limited, there was no concerted plan in this regard.
Meanwhile the police were entrusted with even more tasks, personal
security for increasing numbers of possible LTTE targets, along with
general security duties all over the country, involving also constant
searches for personnel and equipment poised to create mayhem.
But, while deficiencies are understandable in the context of
additional multifarious responsibilities, they are not acceptable.
The core function of the police, crime prevention and detection,
cannot be neglected. Particularly now, with the increased need for a
multi-ethnic well trained police force in action all over the country,
we must address this problem immediately.
Leaving aside the simple moral imperative, we should note also the
practical ill effects of neglect in this area. If remedial action is not
taken, the extraordinary achievements of our armed forces in the North
may well be set at naught. Attention to lapses in the rest of the
country will dictate international responses to our situation, rather
than the congratulations we deserve for having dealt firmly with
terrorism whilst fulfilling more effectively than any other fighting
force our obligation towards civilians in conflict affected areas.
Indeed, we can see already the confusion that has set in, with
assertions that conflate the two issues in a manner that can only offer
joy to the LTTE.
Six American ambassadors, for instance, who have some knowledge of
this country, referred regretfully only to shortcomings with regard to
rights in the South, and such interventions we should respect, because
they do not in any way imply criticism of our struggle against
terrorism. This however gets swept up with other things in more general
critiques, which suggest we are somehow to blame with regard to
international humanitarian law.
Obligations
Our response to these should be short and sharp, to make it clear
that we know our obligations, and have abided by them and will do so,
because we are more concerned about our own citizens than anyone else
could be. But at the same time we must make clear our determination to
uphold national law, and therefore to fine tune instruments such as the
police that ensure the rule of that law.
With the forces near to bringing the struggle against terror to a
successful conclusion, we should not wait to begin the process of
training and administrative streamlining that will ensure a police force
that will, as CRM says, restore the ‘pride and professionalism ......
which is still fresh in those of us with longer memories’.
The writer is Secretary General Secretariat for Coordinating the
Peace Process |