The Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police (SLCMP) is the branch of the

Sri Lanka Army ta, இலங்கை இராணுவம் , image = File:Sri Lanka Army Logo.png , image_size = 180px , caption = Emblem of the Sri Lanka Army , start_date ...

responsible for the policing of service personnel and providing a

military police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear recon ...

presence on service property, operations and exercises. It is made up of three regular regiments and with headquartered at Regiment Center Polhengoda,

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...

. Like other military police around the world, they continue to wear white

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with barrack dress but white

gaiter Gaiters are garments worn over the shoe and bottom of the pant or trouser leg, and used primarily as personal protective equipment; similar garments used primarily for display are Spat (footwear), spats. Originally, gaiters were made of leath ...

s. Policing in the Sri Lankan Army is carried out mainly by SLCMP and by the

Regimental Police Regimental police or regimental provost (RP) are soldiers responsible for regimental discipline enforcement and unit custody in the British Army, other Commonwealth armies and some armed forces structured in the British tradition. They belong to ...

. The

Sri Lanka Navy ta, இலங்கை கடற்படை , image = Sri Lanka Naval Seal.png , image_size = 180px , caption = Emblem of Sri Lanka Navy , dates = , c ...

is policed by the Provost Branch. The

Sri Lanka Air Force The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) ( si, ශ්‍රි ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව, Śrī Laṃkā guwan hamudāva; ta, இலங்கை விமானப்படை, Ilaṅkai vimāṉappaṭai) is the air arm and the yo ...

is policed by the Air Force Police (AFP).

Missions

The Military Police force carries out the following missions:

Ceremonial duties

These ceremonial functions are performed mainly by the President’s Ceremonial Guard Company. *Presidential guard duty includes

guard mounting Guard mounting, changing the guard, or the changing of the guard, is a formal ceremony in which sentries performing ceremonial guard duties at important institutions are relieved by a new batch of sentries. The ceremonies are often elaborate an ...

at the President’s House in

and

President's Pavilion President's Pavilion is an official residence of the President of Sri Lanka, located in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This was formerly the Governor's Pavilion until 1972 when Sri Lanka became a republic. It is located close to the sacred Temple of the Toot ...

Kandy Kandy ( si, මහනුවර ''Mahanuwara'', ; ta, கண்டி Kandy, ) is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills ...

. MPs wear a special ceremonial uniform known as the Presidential scarlet when assigned to the President’s Ceremonial Guard Company. A foot guards type scarlet uniform with assault rifle is worn when mounting the outer-guard and a mounted guard type scarlet long coat with gold girdles, shoulder mail and

lance A lance is a spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier ( lancer). In ancient and medieval warfare, it evolved into the leading weapon in cavalry charges, and was unsuited for throwing or for repeated thrusting, unlike si ...

is worn when mounting the inner-guard. *MP's in their ceremonial scarlet uniform provides guard mounting at state and military ceremonies as well as motorcycle honor guards.

Policing missions

* Maintenance of order and a high standard of discipline by provision of

garrison A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mil ...

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

facilities: Consists of monitoring, maintaining and, if necessary, re-establishing discipline and military order. This also involves controlling stragglers and refugees in times of war. *

Traffic control Traffic management is a key branch within logistics. It concerns the planning control and purchasing of transport services needed to physically move vehicles (for example aircraft, road vehicles, rolling stock and watercraft) and freight. Traffic ...

. * Criminal investigations.

Security missions

* Prevents and deters any threat to or attack against the personnel and property of the armed forces. MPs also provide VIP motorcycle escorts, perform

close protection A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, ...

missions, and escort classified documents and money transports. * Tactical military police support to the Army in all phases of military operations and guarding

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold priso ...

s. *

Counter-intelligence Counterintelligence is an activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting activities to prevent espionage, sabotage, assassinations or ot ...

operations are also carried out by MP's within the army.

History

With the establishment of the

Ceylon Army ta, இலங்கை இராணுவம் , image = File:Sri Lanka Army Logo.png , image_size = 180px , caption = Emblem of the Sri Lanka Army , start_date ...

in October 1948, a Provost Section was raised. The section then consisted of 1 officer and 16 NCOs. On 1 October 1951 the establishment was increased to that of a company, and Capt E.R.P De Zilwa was appointed officer commanding. In 1959 the company was elevated to the level of the unit, and the commanding officer was promoted lieutenant colonel. With the rapid expansion of the army in recent years, the corps has also been gradually increased and has provost sections at every army detachment. In 1979 the military police had the rare honour of performing the ceremonial guard duties, such as

Guard Mounting Guard mounting, changing the guard, or the changing of the guard, is a formal ceremony in which sentries performing ceremonial guard duties at important institutions are relieved by a new batch of sentries. The ceremonies are often elaborate an ...

at the President’s House and to meet this requirement, the President’s Ceremonial Guard Company was formed. Specialized branches such as the Special Investigations Branch and the Traffic School were included to the establishment by the provost in order to counter various crimes and also misconduct and infringement of road rules on public highways by army personnel. The Special Investigations Branch has now expanded to a Special Investigation Unit, directly functioning under the Directorate of

Provost Marshal Provost marshal is a title given to a person in charge of a group of Military Police (MP). The title originated with an older term for MPs, '' provosts'', from the Old French ''prévost'' (Modern French ''prévôt''). While a provost marshal i ...

. The introduction of the Sri Lanka Army Women’s Corps gave necessity to maintain the discipline of the women soldiers, and the Provost Section of MP Women was established in 1983.

Organization

The overall command of the Corps is exercised by the Directorate of the Provost Marshal (which in turn reports to the Directorate of Personnel Management at Army headquarters) and the Centre Commandant. In addition, the SLCMP has a Training Centre (established in 2002) at Giritale, commanded by

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

D.M.A. Bandara, and the Ex-Military Policemen's Association, administered by its President Douglas Walisundara and Secretary, D.U.A. Jayasooriya.

Notable members

*Major Basil Henricus *Sergeant Chaminda Ruwan Yakandawala

Order of precedence

External links and sources

Sri Lanka Army

Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sri Lanka Corps Of Military Police Corps of Military Police

Military Police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear recon ...

Law enforcement agencies of Sri Lanka Military provosts Military units and formations established in 1951 1951 establishments in Ceylon