The Government has ended a four-month state of emergency declared after the Easter Sunday attacks that killed 258 people.
The Ministry of Defence said that Emergency Regulations that were in force will not be extended.
“In keeping with the powers vested on the President under Section No 12 of the Public Security Ordinance, Security Forces will be utilized to assist the Police to maintain public security, law and order in each district,” the Ministry of Defence said.
President Maithripala Sirisena had been extending the emergency on the 22nd of each month since the April 21 attacks on three hotels and three churches.
However, the President’s Office confirmed that President Sirisena had not extended it for another term and thereby allowed the emergency to end.
“The President did not issue a fresh proclamation extending the emergency by a further period,” an official at the President’s Office said.
It was reported that this week Tourism Minister John Amaratunga had asked the President to relax the draconian law to signal to foreign holidaymakers that the situation in the country was back to normal.
Courtesy: Colombo Gazette
