Imported riot control vehicle: ‘For UN Peacekeeping mission in Mali’- A complete fabricated explanation ?

The Ministry of Public Security yesterday (7) clarified that the new riot control vehicles seen at the Hambantota Port were imported to be sent for a United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping mission in Africa. 

Photographs of the imported riot control vehicles – supposedly from India – went viral on social media with questions being posed on the importation of such vehicles when the country is facing shortages of medicines, fuel, LPG, and other essentials.

Ministry of Public Security Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Jagath Alwis said that riot control vehicles had been ordered last year and were to be part of a Police Special Task Force (STF) contingent preparing to leave for Mali later this year on a UN Peacekeeping mission.

“This is for the STF contingent which is getting ready to go to Mali on the African continent for a UN Mission. A UN team will come to Sri Lanka and inspect their equipment and readiness by mid-June or July. These were ordered some time back and have now arrived,” Alwis explained.

When asked about the expenditure for the vehicles, Alwis stated that the Government would be remunerated in foreign exchange for the riot control truck and the STF contingency once they left the country for their mission.

“By June, if we are ready, we will send a STF contingency to the UN Mission and we will be reimbursed in dollars for these bowsers. Sri Lanka also gets dollar remittances from the employment of our Police personnel in such missions overseas. We are doing this not only for the money, but also to gain peacekeeping experience.”

Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka yesterday (7) refuted reports that the riot control trucks had been purchased via the $ 1 billion Indian Line of Credit (LOC).  

“We have seen reports that a water cannon vehicle was imported by the Government of Sri Lanka under a credit line extended by the Government of India. These reports are factually incorrect. No water cannon vehicles have been supplied by India under any of the credit lines extended by India to Sri Lanka. The credit line of $ 1 billion to Sri Lanka is intended to help the people of Sri Lanka with availability of food, medicines, and other essential items required by the people of Sri Lanka in the current situation. Such incorrect reports don’t make any constructive contribution to the cooperation and efforts undertaken to address the ongoing challenges faced by the people of Sri Lanka,” the High Commission said in a statement.