COLOMBO, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Thursday launched a nationwide campaign called A Nation United to combat narcotics, pledging to "root out the drug menace" through coordinated enforcement, rehabilitation, prevention, and public mobilization.
Speaking at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo, the president said his administration would not allow the narcotics trade to continue, calling it "a national tragedy" harming schoolchildren and youth.
He said the government has dismantled political protection networks that enabled criminal operations, and warned officials still complicit with traffickers to sever ties or face removal.
Dissanayake announced that the upcoming budget will allocate additional funding to expand rehabilitation and that a national operations center will be established to integrate the work of the police, armed forces, customs, immigration and emigration, and other agencies. The campaign will also intensify public awareness, break trafficking networks, and provide pathways for users seeking recovery.
Citing official figures, he noted that 64 percent of prison inmates in the country are incarcerated for drug-related offenses, with those aged 18 to 24 the most affected group. He urged religious leaders to leverage village-temple/community ties to lead prevention efforts and called on media organizations to report drug-related issues responsibly and ethically.
The president appealed to citizens to help isolate dealers in their neighborhoods and support rehabilitation, saying no one should fear seeking help.
Drug eradication is a key initiative of the Sri Lankan government under the ruling National People's Power party. ■
