Sri Lanka’s noble Police – Iconic image of Sri Lanka’s constitutional crisis

November 17, 2018 (LBO) - Pelted with bottles of water mixed with chilli paste.

Chairs, books and other projectiles thrown at them. Pushed and shoved by men who are decades older than them dressed in suits and national dress.

The above image is one of Sri Lanka's police officers, many of them young men, unarmed and forming a human chain to protect the 78 year old speaker of Sri Lanka's parliament Karu Jayasuriya.

The protection was necessary so that a vote could be take on a motion of no confidence. Due to the act of bravery and discipline by these young men, the Speaker, (a former military officer, diplomat, businessman, and political leader) was able to enter the chamber of parliament and protect the constitution and democracy of Sri Lanka for future generations to come. These young men did not fight back.

They were abused by so called honourable members of parliament, many of them with criminal histories who are no strangers to intimidating law enforcement officers. The officers did their job, took the punishment, and conducted themselves in a way that should make the nation proud. They are the true hero's of Sri Lanka's democracy.



To date, only Ranil Wickremesinghe and other UNP leaders have condemned this conduct in the harshest terms. It will be unfortunate if other leaders in the the security establishment, government and business did not do the same.





These men and their conduct yesterday, represented the best of Sri Lanka's public service.



A ray of light still brightly shining in the heart of Sri Lanka's democracy. The nation should be forever indebted to them.



ධමෙමා හවෙ රකඛති ධමමචාරි Dhamemā havay rakakhati dhamamachāri The one who lives by the Dhamma is protected by the Dhamma itself