The Sri Lanka Professional Journalists Association (SLWJA) has issued a strongly worded letter of protest to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake regarding an incident in which a VIP escort vehicle, accompanying the Army Commander’s official car, collided with the vehicle carrying a senior journalist and his family. The Association states that the subsequent police complaint was distorted and that signatures were obtained forcibly at the Welikada Police Station.
The SLWJA notes that such violations of the fundamental rights of civilians and journalists by members of the security forces signal a serious erosion of the rule of law. It stresses that the President, as Commander‑in‑Chief of the Armed Services, must intervene directly.
The victim of this unlawful and inhumane conduct is journalist Lahiru Doloswala, website editor of The Morning and Sri Lanka News Coordinator for Turkish State Television (TRT), along with his family.
Image created by using AI.
The Letter: LAHIRU 16.07.26 E
According to the Association, on the night of July 15, while Doloswala was returning home with his wife and two young children after work, a Land Cruiser (registration number 18035) travelling with the Army Commander’s official vehicle (registration number 0001) struck his car from behind. The commando major and his team in the escort vehicle did not stop; instead, they prevented Doloswala from recording the incident on his mobile phone and issued severe threats. Later, a group of approximately 30 army officers stormed the Welikada Police Station, obstructing police duties.
The letter to the President states that the footage on Doloswala’s mobile phone was forcibly deleted and that his signature was obtained for a distorted complaint (AIB 396/183) after more than four hours of intimidation by both police and military personnel.
Signed by SLWJA President Ranga Bandaranaike and Secretary Mithun Jayawardena, the letter calls for an immediate and formal disciplinary inquiry into all officers involved in this illegal conduct, which it says has gravely damaged the reputation of the military through abuse of official authority. Copies of the letter have also been sent to the Ministers of Public Security and Mass Media, the Army Commander, and the Inspector General of Police.