- 68 easing the overcrowding of the existing detention facilities on the sixth floor of the new secretariat building; and identification and formulation of legal methods of criminal investigation aimed at eliciting self-incriminatory material. 170. In its communication dated 27 April 2001, the Government of Sri Lanka informed the Committee that a process had been initiated by the Ministry of Defence to invite the attention of the relevant disciplinary authorities to consider taking disciplinary action against police officers and security forces personnel alleged to have perpetrated torture. Consideration of disciplinary action in relation to cases determined by the Supreme Court and cases brought to the attention of the Government of Sri Lanka by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture is continuing. 171. In addition, the Government also provided statistics indicating the number of persons arrested by law enforcement authorities under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, the Emergency Regulations and the normal laws. This information was submitted because the Government believes that the Committee should consider that torture is practised systematically in the territory of a State party only if incidents of torture consistently occur in the process commencing with arrest and ending upon the termination of detention or completion of the penal sanctions as enforced by the administration of justice system or other similar de jure or de facto process. 5. Findings and conclusions of the Committee against Torture 172. In November 2001, the Committee transmitted the following findings and conclusions to the Government of Sri Lanka. The findings of the Committee, which are based mostly on what the members conducting the inquiry observed during their visit to Sri Lanka, are as follows. 173. The most serious problem faced by Sri Lanka is the internal conflict that has been going on for years and which creates a climate of violence, in particular in the northern and eastern part of the country, and is aggravated by terrorist acts perpetrated in urban areas by the LTTE. 174. The Government has taken and continues to take draconian measures to put an end to the internal conflict. These measures include resorting to emergency regulations which go far beyond the ordinary emergency legislation. 175. The Government employs not only the police and its armed forces in combating terrorism but also paramilitary groups, some of which include Tamil defectors. These groups are not fully under the control of civilian or military authorities. 176. Torture is frequently resorted to in the following cases: (a) suspects; By the police, especially during the first days following arrest and detention of (b) By the army in respect of captured suspected terrorists, in order to “facilitate” follow-up operations and before handing them over to the civilian authorities; and