Sri Lankan President Dissanayake Declares War on ‘Black Crime State,’ Rejects Comparison with Previous Regimes
Colombo, Sri Lanka – November 14, 2025 – In a powerful and highly-charged address at the 36th Il Maha Viru Commemoration (Commemoration of November Heroes) yesterday, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake delivered a striking assessment of the nation’s political landscape, firmly rejecting attempts to equate his government with previous administrations. Speaking at the Viharamahadevi Open Air Theatre in Colombo, the President vowed to relentlessly destroy what he termed the nation’s entrenched “Black Crime State”.
The annual commemoration event, held on November 13th, honours the lives of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) cause. President Dissanayake, leading the event, used the platform to draw a clear ideological and operational line between his leadership and the past.
“Two Different Phenomena”: Rejecting Historical Comparison
President Dissanayake began by addressing widespread political commentary that seeks to compare his current government with its predecessors. He categorically stated that such comparisons were invalid and unsustainable, asserting that his administration and the previous governments exist in “two different phenomena.”
He suggested that the political mechanisms and underlying ideologies of the past regimes are so fundamentally different from the current government’s mandate for change that any direct comparison is a flawed exercise. This claim reflects his government’s consistent narrative that it represents a decisive break from the corruption, inefficiency, and authoritarianism that characterised Sri Lankan politics for decades.
The President’s argument is based on the idea that past governments were products of an established, flawed system, whereas his government, powered by a mandate for fundamental reform, operates from an entirely new premise dedicated to structural change.
The War Against the ‘Black Crime State’
The most potent theme of the President’s speech was his stark depiction of the nation as being undermined by a pervasive “Black Crime State”—a term he has used previously to describe the deep-seated infiltration of the criminal underworld into Sri Lanka’s key state institutions.
President Dissanayake underscored that this shadow state has historically existed within the most crucial and important posts of the nation’s political machinery. This ‘Black Crime State’ is not merely organised crime, but a sophisticated network that includes elements from:
- The Police and Security Forces: The President has previously revealed that investigations uncovered links between officers and organised crime, with some officials reportedly selling service weapons and facilitating criminal activity.
- Immigration and Border Control: Allegations have been made regarding immigration officials facilitating fraudulent documents, such as passports for underworld figures.
- Politics and Governance: Dissanayake has warned that criminal influence has penetrated politics, alleging that underworld figures have become political party organisers and, in some cases, members of Parliament.
Addressing the audience, the President stressed his unwavering commitment to its destruction. He pledged that the time for this destructive entity has ended, declaring: “Only the democratic state powered by the people will remain. The black state will be destroyed.”
A Decisive Hour for Historic Action
The President emphasised the critical nature of the current moment, framing the battle against this entrenched criminal system as a “decisive hour” for the nation.
He highlighted that the crackdown on criminal elements within the state, particularly the police force, is already underway, claiming that the current interdictions and suspensions represent the toughest and most extensive action taken in Sri Lanka’s history. He previously urged all state officials involved in illegal activity to withdraw, asserting that “Nothing is hidden anymore. Everyone knows. Leave before it’s too late.”
By highlighting the sacrifices made by the ‘November Heroes’—a community of activists who challenged the status quo—President Dissanayake framed his government’s fight against the ‘Black Crime State’ as the continuation of that historic struggle for a just and democratic society. The battle against this shadow government, he asserted, is the highest tribute to their legacy and the true path towards safeguarding the nation’s future.
The speech served as both a memorial and a mandate, ensuring the audience and the nation that his administration will not be distracted by the political noise of the past and remains singularly focused on cleansing the institutions of governance to build a truly democratic and accountable state.
