The government was using the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to suppress dissent, peaceful protests and freedom of expression guaranteed under the Constitution

By Sandun A Jayasekera

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) charged yesterday that the government was using the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to suppress dissent, peaceful protests and freedom of expression guaranteed under the Constitution despite former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s undertaking given to the diplomatic community and the opposition not to use the draconian law.  

The chief opposition whip and senior vice president of the SJB, Lakshman Kiriella told Daily Mirror that the former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had given an assurance early this year that the PTA would not be used against peaceful protests but only if and when there were clear links to terrorism.   

The opposition and the global community are highly concerned about the Detention Order (OD) of the Defence Minister issued to arrest those who took part in peaceful protests and failure by the law enforcement authorities to produce suspects before a magistrate when a suspect is arrested under the PTA. This is exactly the concerns expressed by the UN, US senate, the European Commission, the UNHRC, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka and the diplomatic community in Colombo on the use of PTA to suppress protesters who staged protests over the genuine grievances of millions of Sri Lankans, the students, estate sector and private sector employees and the public at large, Kiriella said.  

“The University students, the civil society, the trade unions and the public have a right guaranteed under the constitution to protest against the government’s miserable failure to address the burning issues in the country as victims of this sorry state of affairs are 22 million Sri Lankans. The global and the local community are keen to know the acts of terrorism they allegedly have committed to keep them under a DO without producing before a magistrate,” Kiriella stressed.  

The Maha Sangha also advised the President during his visit to the ‘Atamastana’ recently not to use the PTA against unarmed peaceful protesters and not to extend the term of office of the proposed interim government more than 6 months and hold Parliamentary polls after that.   

On February 17, this year, then Foreign Affairs Minister, Prof. G.L.Peiris has told a group of representatives of a civil society and an NGO that President Rajapaksa had directed the Police not to use the PTA in maintaining law and order in the country at a discussion held with them at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  

This was in addition to the assurance given by him to the opposition and the diplomats in Colombo not to use the PTA against peaceful protests, he added. 

• The global and the local community are keen to know the acts of terrorism they allegedly have committed to keep them under a DO without producing before a magistrate,