Sri Lanka mulls repealing controversial 'Prevention of Terrorism Act'
Colombo, November 20
The Sri Lankan government is drafting a new counter-terrorism law to replace the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said on Sunday.
The PTA was introduced as a temporary arrangement to counter the campaign of separatist violence by the Tamil minority militant groups in 1979.
Addressing reporters in the central district of Kandy, Rajapakshe said, “The drafting of a new act is currently in the process after careful examination by a group of experts.”
International rights groups and Tamil parties dubbed it a draconian law that held Tamils in detention over decades without charges being filed in courts.
“We are keen to bring in an anti-terrorism law so as to ensure the protection of national security,” the minister stressed.
The government had also come under pressure from the European Union (EU) to repeal the PTA.
The EU parliament in mid-2021 resolved that the preferential trade facility of (Generalised System of Preferences) GSP+ must be scrapped for Sri Lankan exports unless the government took action to repeal the PTA.
Repealing the law which allows indefinite detention of individuals without being produced in courts was earlier only a demand that came from the northern Tamil minority. Still, it has been more vocalised since July this year in the Sinhala majority south.
Gotabaya’s successor Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was accused of crushing the protest movement when some of the protest leaders came to be arrested, had used PTA extensively to curtail the demonstrations.
At least two of the protesting student leaders, including a Buddhist monk, are currently being held under the PTA.
Monthly street protests have happened since mid-August demanding their release and the repeal of the PTA.
“We will have to ensure people’s rights are protected in the new anti-terrorism law,” Rajapakshe added.
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday said he was keen to solve all issues, including land and housing pertaining to the Tamil minority community in the country’s northern province by next year when the island nation celebrates its 75th anniversary of Independence.
