Steps to be taken to de-radicalise misguided youth

The Defence Ministry says steps would be taken to de-radicalise misguided youth linked to the Easter Sunday attacks.

Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne said that a proper programme to de-radicalise misguided youth involved in the Easter Sunday attacks would be implemented under a competent authority with the objective to rehabilitate and reintegrate them back to society.

During a meeting held with a British delegation led by UK?s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Sarah Hulton at the Ministry of Defence today (14 January), Gunaratne explained the measures taken by the Government to strengthen the de-radicalisation process.

Maj.Gen. Gunaratne noted that the authorities concerned failed to prevent the deadly Easter Sunday attacks despite there being reliable prior information.

He said that as a result of officials who ignored vital information due to negligence and ignorance on national security invaluable lives and property was lost.

“Under the leadership of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who has already set an exemplary political leadership, we will not leave any room for such incidents to repeat in this country”, he said.

He noted that unlike before, all intelligence agencies had been brought under one roof for better coordination and operation.

Maj. Gen. Gunaratne requested UK assistance in sharing military intelligence, technology and expertise to combat terrorism and in the country?s fight against the growing threat of narcotics and drug smuggling.

While reminding the High Commissioner of rehabilitating over 12000 ex-LTTE combatants including suicide cadres and their reintegration back into the society, Maj. Gen. Gunaratne noted concerted efforts of Tamil diaspora groups which were trying to revive the LTTE by means of promoting separatist ideologies among the rehabilitated and reintegrated? ex-combatants in the community.