Ministers calls for presidential commission to prevent violent unrest in future

The Cabinet of Ministers has sought the appointment of a presidential commission with absolute powers to prevent acts of violence similar to that on May 09, 2022 in the future.

Cabinet spokesperson Minister Bandula Gunawardena revealed this while addressing the weekly Cabinet media briefing this morning (May 09).

The ministers made this request a day ahead of the one-year commemoration of the violent unrest on May 09.

Stressing that the ‘violent events’ that unfolded last year have left a ‘black mark’ in the world history, Gunawardena noted that measures should be taken to ensure that such events are prevented from taking place in the future.

The Cabinet spokesperson went on to highlight the downside of not having laws to take action against such ‘violent protesters’ who violate fundamental human rights.

Violence broke out across the country after the supporters of the ruling party Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) attacked the anti-government protesters camped at the ‘Aragalaya’ protest site in Colombo on May 09, 2022. Amidst the unrest, angry mobs also attacked and set fire to the private residences and properties of politicians.