The National Police Academy has issued a statement addressing its recent training program designed to educate police officers on the LGBTIQ community.
Executive Director of the National Police Academy DIG Jaliya Senaratne said distorted and misleading reports had circulated on social media regarding the initiative.
The training program, launched at the Katana National Police Training Institute with support from the Embassy of the Netherlands, aims to enhance officers’ understanding of LGBTIQ individuals.
The inaugural session took place on March 10, with participation from Netherlands Ambassador Bonnie Horbach, the Acting Inspector General of Police, and the DIG in charge of the Women and Children’s Bureau.
The Executive Director in the statement noted that official communications regarding police training programs should only come from verified sources and warned that any misinformation or misrepresentation of police policies would be legally addressed.
In case No. 425/2021, the Court of Appeal ruled on December 27, 2022, on the terminology used for gender-diverse communities. As a result, police circular No. 2740/2022, issued on April 5, 2024, revised the term “transgender community” to “LGBTIQ community” the statement explained.
Additionally, on March 16, 2023, Sri Lanka Police issued a directive outlining 12 key guidelines to ensure the protection and fair treatment of transgender individuals.
The National Police Academy, established under the Sri Lanka Police Act No. 44 of 2011, is responsible for training officers in line with national security policies and upholding the protection of all communities, the statement said. The above training programme was therefore conducted with the endorsement of the Board of Studies, the Executive Director said.
DIG Senaratne also expressed regret for any inconvenience caused to the dignitaries present at the event. (Newswire)