Govt’s inexperience, knowledge exposed by Arugam Bay attack warning: Kanchana

Colombo, October 24 (Daily Mirror) - With the government's announcement yesterday regarding a potential attack targeting popular tourist locations in the Arugam Bay area, it is clear that the current government lacks experience and knowledge to handle situations of such nature, former Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said.

Addressing the media, he said that the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Public Security Minister have neglected their responsibilities.

"We do not want to ask for the resignation of the individuals holding these positions, but we are urging them to correct their mistakes," he said.

Kanchana Wijesekera then questioned whether the country was alerted as soon as the announcement came through the US Embassy or after local intelligence services received the information.

The government should inform the public about the security measures taken if they had received the information on October 7, as claimed by the IGP yesterday.

Additionally, the public should be informed as to why the government failed to provide security measures in other tourist zones, including the Southern Province. It was reported that the tri-forces were deployed in the Arugam Bay area yesterday following the announcement made by the US Embassy.

"National security must be the top priority, and it should not be underestimated. Following the issuance of travel advisories by several embassies, many tourists scheduled to arrive in the country cancelled their plans," he said.

"If the government had known about the threat earlier, they could have prevented the issuance of travel advisories, avoiding damage to the country's tourism industry. The government should take responsibility if those travel advisories were issued without their knowledge," he said.

Finally, the government must engage with embassy officials if no discussion took place regarding the possible terror attack, he said.