Daily NEWS Srilanka

Emigration and Immigrations officers refused to carry out their duties of attending to passengers for a period of one hour yesterday (28) protesting against installing CCTV systems at Katunayaka

This protest which was carried on from 11.45 a.m. to 12.45 p.m. resulted in a delay of 15 minutes of 4 Sri Lankan flights and 8 other flights. The protest had erupted at the time a CCTV system was to be installed covering the entire airport, under instructions of the President. The Secretary of Emigration and Immigration Officers' Association Mr. Y.A.S.D. Yapa stated that this protest has been voiced on the occasion on the issue as to why when there are so many places which are not covered in the system now in operation, a CCTV system is to be installed only at the immigration section. However under the promise that this decision would be considered later, the strike was called off.

By now, criticisms have been aimed at this incident by comparing it to the Sinhala proverb which implies that 'the flowering part of the banana tree jumps over the fence before the thief'. The criticism points out that a protest is launched by none other than shareholders or participants of racketeers who are against the activity of providing safety to the airport the latter of which is a hub where racketeers bring in unwanted stuff to the country.

As reported, the two CCTV systems in operation currently at the airport are not operating in a manner that it has therefore created an obstacle for surveillance. Once the new system is fixed, all systems would be focused and directed to one particular unit and it is anticipated that a separate team would be engaged in the surveillance. Whatever it is, because of yesterday's protest the installing activities of the CCTV system has been temporarily suspended and the decision to be arrived at is expected to be taken after all parties are summoned under the leadership of the Secretary of Defense.

When questioned about the obstacle which sprang up when a progressive action such as this was to be launched, the Controller of Emigration and Immigration, General Ranasingha responded saying that there was no strike that occured there. Also that other than a discussion which took place because a renovation was fixed to be done last morning without prior notice at the section separated for the emigration and immigration officers, there was no protest at all for installing cameras there.