BY EDWARD THEOPHILUS

According to news reports, crimes in SRI LANKA have increased during the past decade, despite legal rules and religious practices committing crimes is a passion in society, and why people commit crimes is a vital dilemma that need to critically evaluate, comparatively current crime figures and trend have increased compared to previous decades. We are living in a decade committing more crimes, this nature is not only in Sri Lanka but also in other countries have reported that increased crimes and such situation may associate with modernization and changes of attitudes of the young generation.

What are contributed factors to increase crimes in Sri Lanka, which is called an Island of devotional practice?  Sri Lanka promotes crimes because attitudes of people highly concern with desires and, in this background, application of law and order have failed to deal with the increasing trend of crimes. According to daily reports in media, it is easy to decide that committing crimes is a part of a life of many people who are in all age groups and have associated with committing crimes to gain advantages and show the prosperity to others. Is it a demonstration effect? The operation of religions has failed to eliminate desires from the mind of people and many people are showing highly religious, but they commit crimes while showing a highly religious behaviour.   

Legally, an unlawful behaviour (Actus Reus) considers as committing crimes and such behaviour incurs with a malice purpose (Mens Rea) is treated as a crime and it should be dealt by the court. A regrettable situation in Sri Lanka is criminal aspects have not been updated in law books. It is the theoretical aspect of dealing with crimes despite traditional interpretation as promoting good behaviour. In the modern era, many people turn to commit crime to gain individual benefits in a variety of ways. In many times, the purpose of committing crime has been to gain various advantages for the individuals and families. The development of positive attitudes against committing crimes needs in society. The vital nature is many crimes may not detect as they committed as they are not visible to naked eye and many attempt to disguise them as long as possible have been successful, but the truth is one day they may be revealed but many crimes have not detected for ever. Vicious nature in Sri Lanka is many clergy in various religions associate with crimes. While they are preaching to make crimeless society, they also engage in committing crimes.   

Modernization has promoted grandeur of crimes to make money disregarding consequences is the negative aspect of crimes, and the law and religions have failed to eradicate crimes. Modernization promotes a consumer society that demands more money for living and other purposes of life. When people failed to make money for such an enjoyable life, they commit crime to achieve it.  What should do to change this environment? No doubt that religions and laws need to work together and people should be educated about the consequences of crimes to the society and no point taking consequences after death as many people’s doubts life after death. In the past, they were educating in society, even with such education, criminal motives of people have not been eliminated by educating and it is seen that criminal activities in society have been a profession among various   practitioners.    

Are the people of the law enforcement authority indirectly support criminals, is a vital question that should be asked, and it also seems that the government should encourage public to complain about the behaviour of personnel in the law enforcement authority.  

It could assume that certain people in all ethnic and religious communities are associated with committing crimes and models in overseas concerned to control crimes using strategies for quick punishing and education about law and order.

A vital nature of Sri Lanka shows that many religious clergies associate with committing crimes of original nature and selfish motives for money, which could use for criminal purposes and gain unreasonable benefits despite the teaching of religions and laws. This situation on common in many countries, but the problem in Sri Lanka is while preaching religions and advising good behaviour many people commit crimes.

Committing crimes associate with psychological behaviour of humans, since the beginning of humans on this planet committing crimes were, many countries have controlled committing of crimes using appropriate strategy to countries and the most successful strategy is rehabilitation of criminals using culturally and religiously appropriate ways and when criminals gain competencies on standard behaviour in society they release and monitor their behaviour and remedial management should be done as required.

My feeling is about 2% of population naturally gains motives to commit crimes, this situation happens despite religious teaching and law and order in a country, modern society needs developing controlling strategies providing a good way for living without committing crimes.