Sri Lanka to replace army with police for VIP protection

The VIPs in Sri Lanka will no longer get army protection and they will henceforth be guarded by police, Minister of State for Defence Ruwan Wijewardena said on Friday.

He also dismissed allegations that military security detail of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa has been reduced. Addressing a security function here Wijewardena said, “this is a policy decision the government has taken”.

The decision to withdraw the army commando protection provided to Rajapaksa has caused a stir with opposition saying that the move would endanger the safety of the man who led the troops to victory over the LTTE. “We have not reduced anything for the former president, we have taken the decision to replace the army with police,” Wijewardena said.

The opposition alleged that 206-strong protection team of Rajapaksa is to be slashed.

Wijewardena said the President Maithripala Sirisena and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe are also getting police not army protection.