Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has raised concerns about a possible conspiracy to assassinate her, similar to the politically motivated assassination of her husband, Vijaya Kumaratunga.
In a letter addressed to the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security, Ravi Seneviratne, the former President expressed dismay over the recent reduction in her security detail. According to the letter, Senior DIG Ajith Hemasiri issued an order on October 31, reducing her security personnel from 50 to 30.
The letter further points out that other former presidents currently receive significantly larger security details, with personnel numbers at 243, 200, and 109 respectively. Kumaratunga questioned the criteria behind assigning her only 30 security personnel, noting that she is the most vulnerable among the five retired presidents, and the only one who has previously survived an assassination attempt.
The former President also highlighted that police intelligence reports have previously warned her of threats from the LTTE, which in 2006 and 2014 publicly declared its intent to target her, even in retirement.
Despite these threats, the letter details how former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is provided with 243 security personnel, including 63 military officers and 180 police officers. Maithripala Sirisena has 109 police officers, and Gotabaya Rajapaksa is supported by 200 personnel, including 175 military officers. By contrast, Kumaratunga’s security has been reduced to just 30 personnel.
In her letter, Kumaratunga also questioned the government’s position on VIP security, referencing JVP leaders who had previously pledged to limit VIP protection but have, since taking office, authorized extensive security arrangements for government leaders. This, she noted, implies an acknowledgment of the importance of adequate security for VIPs in Sri Lanka.
