Sri Lanka Civil Security Force
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Sri Lanka Civil Security Force

The Civil Security Department (Sinhala: සිවිල් ආරක්ෂක දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව Sivil ārakshaka depathamentuwā; Tamil: சிவில் பாதுகாப்பு துறை) (also known as the CSD) is an auxiliary force administered by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence.

It traces its roots to the Home Guards which were lightly armed local volunteers organized to protect their villages from attacks by the LTTE. These units were formed into the National Home Guard Service in 1986 under the Mobilization of Supplementary Force Act No. 40 of 1985. These home-guardsmen came under the command of the local police becoming one of two paramilitary units under the Sri Lanka Police. The Home Guard Service was re-structured on under the Gazette notification No. 1462/20 of 13 September 2006 which established the Civil Security Department (CSD). The CSD is headed by a Director General, currently held by Air Vice Marshal Roshan Biyanwila.

The CSD is not to be confused with the Sri Lanka National Guard, which is a volunteer reserve regiment of the Sri Lanka Army.

The original role of the CDS was the protection of "threatened villages" also known as "border villages" that were adjacent to LTTE held areas most of which are in Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Polonnaruwa, Ampara and Monaragala Districts. However the role later expanded to protecting important sites and supply routes.

The main roles of the CDS are,

Other, more special duties include:

Starting from the early 1980s, civilians were recruited and armed as territorial defence units. Following the 1982 elections, the state through the Mahaweli Authority pursued a policy of forcibly evicting Tamil villagers in Weli Oya and Maduru Oya areas and establishing Sinhalese settlements there in order to counter Tamil separatism. A 30-member security unit consisting of Sinhalese settlers in Maduru Oya was formed in 1983 with the support of the Mahaweli Authority and the Sri Lankan armed forces. The Sinhalese settlers were trained in firearm use and strategic defence. Many of these settlers were later recruited as home guards in the border villages between Sinhalese and Tamil areas. The introduction of the home guards in May 1984 contributed to the escalation of the ethnic conflict, with Tamil civilians being attacked by them and the LTTE launching attacks against Sinhalese settlers in November.

The National Home Guard Service was thus established in 1986 by then Minister of National Security Lalith Athulathmudali with a strength of about 5000 personnel, armed with 12 gauge shotguns and brown uniforms. No allowances were paid initially, but some rations were issued through co-operative outlets. Subsequent to the takeover by the Police, the volunteers were paid a daily allowance and provided training at Kumbuka camp, Horana.[citation needed]

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