President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says one fundamental principle shared by all developed countries is that the law applies equally to everyone.
Addressing the NPP Women’s Rally in Badulla, the President stressed that education reforms alone would not secure children’s futures. Establishing the rule of law and ensuring justice were equally important to building a safe country, he said.
He pointed out that even when parents protect and educate their children, they cannot guarantee their safety if they grow up in a society where the law is not enforced equally.
The President said Sri Lanka had long struggled with a situation in which individuals with political connections escaped legal action. He cited illegal tree felling, sand mining, and the production and sale of illegal drugs as examples of activities in which political influence had allegedly helped individuals evade accountability.
He questioned how children could be safe in a country where the enforcement of the law depended on a person’s social status, wealth or political connections.
“The law must protect everyone equally, regardless of their position in society,” he emphasised.
President Dissanayake acknowledged that achieving this change would not be easy, as some individuals had enjoyed legal protection, escaped accountability and benefited from privileges under the previous system.
He said those who benefited from the old system were reluctant to accept equal application of the law, preferring to retain their privileges and protection while others remained subject to its full force.
Referring to the common comparison of the law to a spider’s web, the President said the weak were trapped while the powerful managed to break free.
He stressed the need to move away from this situation and build a country where everyone was equal before the law, for the sake of future generations.
President Dissanayake reaffirmed the government’s commitment to achieving this goal, adding that those who had benefited from the previous system were becoming increasingly agitated as these changes were pursued.
Make the headline more conciseReduce repeated references to equality
