Special Events

The “Vesak Bathi Gee Saraniya” (Vesak Devotional Songs Festival), organized by the Presidential Secretariat in conjunction with the Colombo Hunupitiya Gangaramaya “Buddharashmi” Vesak Zone and the “Bauddhaloka” Vesak Zone, was ceremonially held at the Presidential Secretariat premises on 31st May 2026 at 6.30 p.m. The occasion was graced by the presence of Hon. Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Mr. Roshan Gamage, Inspector General of Police and Attorney-at-Law Mr. Priyantha Weerasooriya, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police in Charge of the Western Province Mr. Sanjeewa Medawatta, and several other distinguished guests. The devotional music programme, featuring devotional singing groups of the Sri Lanka Police and the Tri-Forces, together with students from several schools in the Colombo area, will continue to be held daily at the Presidential Secretariat premises from 6.30 p.m. until 1 June 2026. In parallel with the programme, a rice dansala jointly organized by the Presidential Secretariat and the Sri Lanka Army was inaugurated at 7.00 p.m. near the Presidential Secretariat. The inauguration was attended by Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Inspector General of Police and Attorney-at-Law Mr. Priyantha Weerasooriya, and senior officers of the Sri Lanka Army. The rice dansala will continue to serve devotees and visitors until 2 June 2026. In addition, an ice cream dansala was inaugurated on 30th May near the Presidential Secretariat to facilitate the large crowds visiting Colombo to experience the Vesak celebrations.With the direct contribution of the staff of the Presidential Secretariat, the Presidential Secretariat premises, surrounding government institutions, and adjoining roadways have been illuminated with festive decorations. A Vesak lantern exhibition featuring a variety of creatively designed lanterns has also been opened for public viewing.

ලෝකවාසී බෞද්ධ ජනතාවගේ පරම පූජනීය වෙසක් පුර පසළොස්වක පොහොය දිනය නිමිත්තෙන් සමස්ත ශ්‍රී ලාංකික ජනතාව වෙත මගේ හෘදයාංගම සුභාශිංසන පිරිනමනුයේ හදපිරි භක්තියෙනි. භාග්‍යවතුන් වහන්සේගේ තෙමඟුල (ඉපදීම, බුදුවීම සහ පිරිණිවන් පෑම) සිහිපත් කරන උදාර වෙසක් පොහොය, අප සැමගේ සිත් තුළ කරුණාව, දයාව සහ ප්‍රඥාව වර්ධනය කර ගැනීමට ලැබෙන උතුම් අවස්ථාවකි.  බුදුරජාණන් වහන්සේ දේශනා කළ වෛරයෙන් වෛරය නොසන්සිඳෙන බවත්, අවෛරයෙන්ම වෛරය සංසිඳෙන බවත් යන ශාස්තෘ වැකිය වත්මන් සමාජයට වඩාත්ම ගැලපෙන පණිවිඩයයි. ශ්‍රී ලංකා පොලිසිය ලෙස අප සැමවිටම කැපවී සිටින්නේ රට තුළ නීතිය හා සාමය සුරකිමින්, සාමකාමී සහ සදාචාරාත්මක සමාජයක් ගොඩනැගීමටයි. මෙවර වෙසක් සමයේදී ආමිස හා ප්‍රතිපත්ති පූජාවන්ට මුල්තැන දෙමින්, අන්‍යෝන්‍ය ගරුත්වය සහ සහයෝගීතාවය පෙරදැරිව කටයුතු කරන මෙන් සමස්ත පොලිස් නිලධාරීන්ගෙන් මෙන්ම රටවැසි මහජනතාවගෙන්ද කාරුණිකව ඉල්ලා සිටිමි. විශේෂයෙන්ම, උත්සව සමය තුළ මාර්ග ආරක්ෂාව පිළිබඳව සැලකිලිමත් වෙමින්, මත්ද්‍රව්‍ය හා මත්පැන්වලින් වැළකී, පින්සිතුවිලිවලින් යුතුව වෙසක් උත්සවය සැමරීමට වගබලා ගන්නා ලෙස සිහිපත් කරමි. සැමට පින්බර වෙසක් මංගල්‍යයක් වේවා! – පොලිස්පති, නීතිඥ ප්‍රියන්ත වීරසූරිය – …………………………………………………………. பௌத்த உலக மக்களின் மிகப் புனிதமான வெசாக் பௌர்ணமி தினத்தை முன்னிட்டு, இலங்கை வாழ் அனைத்து மக்களுக்கும் எனது இதயபூர்வமான வாழ்த்துகளை பணிவுடன் தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கிறேன். புத்த பகவானின் திருத்திருமுக நிகழ்வுகளான (பிறப்பு, புத்தத்துவம் அடைதல் மற்றும் பரிநிர்வாணம்) நினைவுகூரும் இந்த உன்னத வெசாக் பௌர்ணமி தினம், நம் அனைவரின் மனங்களில் கருணை, அன்பு மற்றும் ஞானத்தை வளர்த்தெடுக்கக் கிடைக்கும் சிறந்த வாய்ப்பாகும். “பகையால் பகை தீராது, அன்பினாலேயே பகை தணியும்” என்ற புத்தரின் உபதேசம் இன்றைய சமூகத்திற்கும் மிகப் பொருத்தமான செய்தியாகும். இலங்கை பொலிஸ் துறையாக, நாட்டில் சட்டம் மற்றும் ஒழுங்கை பாதுகாத்து, அமைதியான மற்றும் நெறிமுறை சார்ந்த சமூகத்தை உருவாக்க நாம் எப்போதும் அர்ப்பணிப்புடன் செயற்பட்டு வருகிறோம். இவ்வருட வெசாக் காலத்தில், ஆராதனை மற்றும் நடைமுறை வழிபாடுகளுக்கு முன்னுரிமை அளித்து, பரஸ்பர மரியாதை மற்றும் ஒத்துழைப்புடன் செயற்படுமாறு அனைத்து பொலிஸ் அதிகாரிகளையும், பொதுமக்களையும் அன்புடன் கேட்டுக்கொள்கிறோம். குறிப்பாக, பண்டிகை காலத்தில் வீதிப் பாதுகாப்பை கவனத்தில் கொண்டு, மது மற்றும் போதைப்பொருட்களைத் தவிர்த்து, பக்தியுடன் வெசாக் திருவிழாவை கொண்டாடுமாறு நினைவூட்டுகின்றோம். அனைவருக்கும் புண்ணியமிக்க வெசாக் பண்டிகை நல் வாழ்த்துகள்! …………………………….. On the occasion of the most sacred Vesak Full Moon Poya Day, revered by Buddhists around the world, I extend my heartfelt Vesak greetings to all Sri Lankans with profound devotion and sincere goodwill. The noble Vesak Poya, which commemorates the Birth, Enlightenment, and Parinibbana of the Buddha, provides a valuable opportunity for all of us to cultivate loving-kindness, compassion, wisdom, and understanding within our hearts. The timeless teaching of the Buddha that “Hatred is never appeased by hatred, Hatred is appeased only by non-hatred” remains one of the most relevant and powerful messages for contemporary society. It serves as a guiding principle for fostering harmony, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence among all people. As the Sri Lanka Police, we remain steadfast in our commitment to maintaining law and order, ensuring Public Safety, and contributing to the creation of a Peaceful, Disciplined, and morally upright society. During this Vesak season, I respectfully urge all police officers and members of the public to give priority to both Amisa Pooja and Prathipatti Pooja, embracing the true spirit and values of the Buddha’s teachings through their words and actions. I also kindly appeal to everyone to demonstrate mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation during this festive period. In particular, I encourage all citizens to exercise caution on the roads, uphold road safety regulations, refrain from the use of alcohol and narcotic substances, and celebrate Vesak with noble thoughts and virtuous conduct. May this blessed Vesak bring peace, happiness, and spiritual fulfillment to all. – The Inspector General of Police, Attorney-at-Law Mr. Priyantha Weerasuriya –

A special Dhamma sermon was held at Police Headquarters in observance of the sacred 2026 Vesak Full Moon Poya, a religious occasion revered with deep devotion by Buddhists across the world. The program, organized by Police Headquarters, took place on the evening of 28.05.2026 with the participation of the Inspector General of Police, Attorney-at-Law Mr. Priyantha Weerasooriya. The sermon was delivered by Venerable Rajagiriya Ariyagnana Thero, who shared profound Dhamma teachings and valuable guidance aimed at fostering spiritual growth, mental well-being, and character development among the officers of Police Headquarters who had gathered for the occasion.

Symbolising the Indo–Sri Lanka Friendship Programme, 134 cabs donated by the Government of India for the use of the Sri Lanka Police were formally handed over by the High Commissioner of India, Mr. Santosh Jha, to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on the morning of 25 May 2026, in front of the Presidential Secretariat. The Inspector General of Police, Attorney-at-Law Mr. Priyantha Weerasuriya, who attended the event, stated that this donation, valued at approximately Rs. 700 million, would significantly enhance the operational efficiency of the Sri Lanka Police and improve the quality of public service delivery. The event was attended by the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala, Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala, Secretary to the Ministry Ravi Seneviratne, officials of the Indian High Commission, and senior officers of the Sri Lanka Police. On this occasion, the Inspector General of Police, Attorney-at-Law Priyantha Weerasuriya, presented a commemorative memento to the Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha in recognition of this generous contribution.

The “Iwathwanu” Ratama Ekata National Drug Prevention Operation, launched on 30 October 2025 at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo under the leadership of H.E. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, is currently being implemented islandwide with considerable success. Public Safety Committee meetings previously conducted under the patronage of the President in the Southern, Northern, and Central Provinces have produced significant progress in efforts to curb the spread of drug abuse. As part of this ongoing national initiative, a large-scale Public Safety Committee meeting aimed at educating the people of the Batticaloa District in the Eastern Province about the program was held in Batticaloa on 20 May 2026 under the patronage of the President. During the event, the President presented cash rewards and gifts to police officers in the Eastern Province, as well as members of the tri-forces, in recognition of their direct contribution to major drug detection and raid operations carried out in the line of duty. Addressing the gathering, the President emphasized that society has been adversely affected by the growing drug menace. He further stated that the national campaign launched to protect the country’s youth from the devastating impact of narcotics — regardless of ethnicity, social status, or geographic location — would continue to be implemented with unwavering commitment and would not be reversed under any circumstances. Members of the Maha Sangha of the Eastern Province and other religious leaders, Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Mr. Ananda Wijepala, Inspector General of Police Mr. Priyantha Weerasooriya, officers of the tri-forces, government officials, and a large number of local residents attended the event.

Financial Assistance Provided to International Police Association Members Affected by Cyclone “Ditwa” Financial assistance was extended to members of the International Police Association (IPA) who suffered losses and property damage as a result of Cyclone “Ditwa”, which severely impacted the island. The assistance programme was held at Police Headquarters on 22 May 2026. A limited number of officers attended the event as representatives of IPA members serving across the country who were affected by the disaster. Financial aid will subsequently be distributed at the divisional level to all affected police officers who are members of the Association. This initiative further demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the Sri Lanka Police and the International Police Association to the welfare and well-being of police officers who continue to carry out their duties diligently, even in the face of unexpected natural disasters and challenging circumstances. The event was attended by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Administration, Mr. Sanjeewa Dharmaratne, Secretary General of the Sri Lanka Branch of the International Police Association, Ms. Sunethra Seneviratne, and several senior police officers representing the Sri Lanka Branch of the International Police Association.

The 17th National War Heroes’ Day commemoration was solemnly and proudly held on the evening of 19.05.2026 in front of the War Heroes’ Memorial at the Parliament Grounds, under the patronage of the His Excellency President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, to mark Victory Day (18 May 2009), which symbolized the triumph of the humanitarian operation against LTTE terrorism. Religious dignitaries, local and international guests, the Commanders of the Tri-Forces, the Inspector General of Police Mr. Priyantha Weerasooriya, Senior Police Officers, parents of fallen war heroes, disabled veterans, and many others attended the event, representing all those who made immense sacrifices to secure victory. During the North and Eastern conflict, which spanned more than three decades, 2,598 officers of the Sri Lanka Police sacrificed their lives in terrorist attacks, both on the battlefield and while carrying out official duties. This figure is second only to the number of personnel who lost their lives from the Sri Lanka Army. In addition, 1,575 police officers were left permanently disabled as a result of the conflict. Amid military honors and salutes presented by the President and other distinguished guests, family members who attended the ceremony paid floral tributes to the police and military personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice. As in previous years, the occasion became a deeply emotional moment that moved many in attendance. The 17th National War Heroes’ Day commemoration concluded successfully with a renewed pledge to always remember and honor the police heroes and members of the Tri-Forces who sacrificed their lives to safeguard the freedom and peace enjoyed by the nation today.

A district-level meeting in Puttalam District was held on 15 May 2026 as part of an island-wide program designed to engage with police officers serving across all districts and to discuss the challenges and concerns they face in the course of their duties. The meeting took place at the Nilavin Hotel in Chilaw under the patronage of the Hon. Mr. Ananda Wijepala and IGP Mr. Priyantha Weerasooriya. During the discussion, special attention was given to the occupational challenges encountered by police personnel, as well as matters relating to their welfare and working conditions. Police officers were afforded the opportunity to directly share their views on the nature of their responsibilities and the practical difficulties they face on a daily basis. The Minister instructed the relevant authorities to take prompt action to resolve the issues identified and to further improve welfare facilities for officers. In conjunction with the event, the newly refurbished Traffic Branch of the Chilaw Police Station was officially declared open. The event was attended by several senior government and police officials, including Hon. Dr. A.H.M.H. Abhayaratne, SDIG Mr. Ajith Rohana, and DIG Mr. Priyantha Chandrasiri. Police officers serving in the Puttalam Division and Chilaw Division, together with Officers-in-Charge and other personnel from across the district, also participated in the programme.

Vietnam People’s Police Academy and National Police Training Institute Sign Landmark MOU to Elevate Sri Lanka Police Professional Standards to International Levels A special Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the People’s Police Academy of the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam and the National Police Training Institute of Sri Lanka in conjunction with the bilateral cooperation agreement on public security signed between Vietnam and Sri Lanka at Police Headquarters on 8 May 2026. The MoU is intended to further strengthen the policing capabilities of both countries through future collaboration in professional police education and training, academic and scientific research, and the exchange of international expertise and best practices. The agreement was signed by Lieutenant General Mr.Tran Minh Huong on behalf of the People’s Police Academy, and Deputy Inspector General of Police Manjula Mahagirilla on behalf of the National Police Training Institute of Sri Lanka. This strategic partnership represents a significant milestone in advancing the international engagement, research capacity, and professional standards of the Sri Lanka Police, further aligning its capabilities with internationally recognized benchmarks.