Amnesty International today said President Maithripala Sirisena's statement on giving the death penalty to drug dealers was absolutely shocking. 

"To assign the task of “destroying drug dealers” to the military, police and the civil defence forces in the same manner they “destroyed LTTE terrorists” is essentially calling for extra-judicial executions- which are illegal" Amnesty International said in a tweet. 

Sirisena, addressing a gathering in Matara, once again commended the brutal drug prevention campaign by Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines. 

In addition to the Philippines, the President said, countries like India and the United States also give death penalty to drug dealers. 

He vowed to empower the Army to curb the drug menace and reiterated his pledge to introduce the death penalty to drug dealers. 

"Certain drug dealers topple governments and destroy countries. These individuals are a disaster to the society irrespective of how they portray themselves" the President also said, adding that those who undermine his drug eradication programme are funded by drug dealers.