Sri Lankan police officers, including traffic patrolmen, are to be armed with a pistol or revolver, said the police spokesperson SSP Ajith Rohana, reports the Colombo Page.
Speaking today, the spokesperson said that Sri Lanka's Police Department made this decision due to alleged rising violence they faced in duty, and that the officers had been instructed to only use the firearm in 'highly necessary occasions for their self-defence'.
During the armed conflict, Sri Lankan police officers were armed with an assault rifle. Following the end of the armed on conflict they the weapons were taken away.
The recent announcement comes amidst widespread international concern regarding on-going reports of human rights violations by security forces, and heavy militarisation of the Tamil area of the North-East.
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