No threat to national security - President

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake today assured that there is no threat to the country’s national security.

He made this statement while responding to questions from journalists regarding the rise in underworld related violence, during his visit to the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy today (23).

President Dissanayake further clarified that the ongoing crisis is merely a conflict between underworld gangs and assured that immediate measures would be taken to address the situation.

Speaking further on this matter, the President said, “There is no threat regarding national security. There have been conflicts between underworld criminal gangs. It has not posed a threat to the general security of the public.” 

However, he emphasized that these underworld group have spread their reach into to various fields and institutions over a long period of time and as a result their connections have evolved into a destructive network. “We are making a strong effort to suppress them, and we are confident that we can succeed in this.”

President Dissanayake also mentioned that these various underworld gangs had progressed with political backing in the past, but that protection no longer exists.

He continued, “On the other hand, we are receiving some information, and investigations are underway regarding them. There is suspicion whether these are simply clashes between underworld gangs, or possibly whether an invisible hand is coordinating and directing these actions from behind the scenes. We have already launched investigations into that.”