The newly sworn-in government says it will soon offer amnesty for the surrender of tens of thousands of firearms believed to be in the possession of gangsters and certain politicians, a newspaper reported Sunday. The amnesty is part of the government's efforts to thwart crime and reverse the breakdown of law and order in the country, ‘The Sunday Times’, an independent newspaper said.
At least 10,000 Chinese-made T-56 automatic rifles, as many 9-mm rifles and an unspecified number of hand grenades are in the hands of criminal groups, the newspaper quoted interior minister John Amaratunga as saying.
After the amnesty, a committee will be appointed to advise the police on ways to recover the weapons, the newspaper said. Bureau Report