The first signature was placed by former defence secretary Austin Fernando.
Pix by Nimalsiri Edirisinghe            

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

President Ranil Wickremesinghe is failing in all his  attempts to retain power with the backing of the Rajapaksas as finally  the people in the north have united with their brethren in the south in  the campaign for repealing the draconian PTA  law, Parliamentarian M. A.  Sumanthiran said.   

MP Sumanthiran who was amongst a number of opposition  politicians and civil society activists who attended the event to submit  signatures to a mobile campaign in Galle Face said yesterday that it is  a tremendous victory the people have achieved against the corrupt  rulers.   “The draconian law of Prevention of Terrorism Act was  introduced in 1979 as a temporary provisions act for six months but it  continued to remain throughout four decades enabling the reigning  governments to use it against dissent.   

It is a victory as this struggle started in the North by  its oppressed people way before during the war-torn times have managed  to unite with the people in the south as the current rulers are using it  to silence civil activists in Galle Face Aragalaya, who are fighting  for a better political system,” he said.   
Human rights lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah, who had been detained  under the PTA for more than even 90 days said that he had witnessed how  suspects detained along with him were treated with cruelty and  interrogation involving torture.   
A countrywide signature campaign was launched by Illankai  Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) Youth Front along with Justice for All from  Kankesanthurai from September 10 reached Colombo yesterday afternoon,  where the signatures were collected from the public and other  interested parties at the Galle Face Green.   

The campaign, which is scheduled to go further down south  to Hambantota is expected to collect more than one million signatures.  Parliamentarians Eran Wickramaratne, Mujibur Rahuman,  Hirunika Premachandra, Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, Rauff Hakeem, Tissa  Attanayake with social activists Pubudu Jagoda, Dharmasiri Lankapeli and  Joseph Stalin together with artistes were present.