JVP chides Administrative Service unions for not taking up arrest of SLAS officer over social media post

BY Saman indrajith

The JVP-led National Intellectuals’ Organisation yesterday flayed the Administrative Service Unions for not taking up the arrest of an administrative officer over a social media post.

Former ministerial secretary and ex-chairman of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service Officers’ Union, Ashoka Peiris, addressing the media, at Battarmulla said that Chamila Jayasinghe, an assistant commissioner of the Land Settlement Department had been arrested for a Facebook comment critical of the government.

“Several months ago, the CID officers visited his residence and questioned him on sharing a post with others. A few days ago he was taken into custody by the CID for being critical of the government. On Saturday, Jayasinghe was released on bail. The administrative service unions should stand for the rights of Jayasinghe.”

Peiris said the arrest was a serious threat to the administrative service. “In addition to this, Health Ministry Secretary Dr. S. H. Munasinghe, citing provisions of the Establishments Code, had already issued a circular to the effect that disciplinary action would be taken against any official of the Ministry of Health who issued statements to the media criticising the government’s policies and administrative procedures. Peiris said everybody had the freedom of expression irrespective whether they are public servants or not. It was a right guaranteed by the Constitution, he added.

Senior Lawyer Upul Kumarapperuma said that the freedom of expression was a fundamental right guaranteed by the Section 14-1 (a) of the Constitution and stood above the regulations of the Establishments Code.

“The recent arrests indicated that the government was bent on suppressing dissenting views. One such example was the arrest of a youth for honking when a road was closed to allow a Chinese delegation to travel,” he said.

Attorney-at-Law Charith Galhena also addressed the press.