The Sri Lankan government’s newly introduced anti-terrorism legislation must be withdrawn in its entirety, as it poses a serious threat to democratic rights and ordinary livelihoods, said N. M. Aalam, Secretary of the Mannar District Fisheries Cooperative Union.
Speaking at a media briefing organised by the Women’s Organisation of the Mannar Nesakaram Citizen Committee, affiliated with the National Fisheries Solidarity Movement, Aalam described the proposed law as wholly unacceptable. The briefing was held on Wednesday afternoon at the organisation’s office premises in Mannar.
Aalam stressed that the legislation, formally introduced as a replacement for the now-repealed Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), mirrors the repressive character of its predecessor and must therefore be rejected outright. He emphasised that, just as sustained public pressure called for the repeal of the PTA, this new law, dubbed the “Protection of the State from Terrorism Act (PSTA)”, must also be withdrawn fully and without modification.
He noted that although the government claims the legislation is intended to protect the state from terrorism, plans are already underway to present the bill before Parliament in the coming months and secure its passage. Civil society organisations and activists across the island, he said, have already voiced clear opposition to the proposed law, warning of its far-reaching consequences.
In this context, Aalam said the fishing community in Mannar also felt compelled to place its position on record. He pointed out that fishermen and farmers, already burdened by economic hardship and environmental challenges, would face further pressure under legislation that expands surveillance and control over civilian life.
Aalam warned that even the right to speak has been curtailed under clauses contained in the draft law, raising serious concerns about freedom of expression and the right to protest. Protest and the expression of opinions, he stressed, are fundamental democratic rights, and any law that seeks to undermine them is unnecessary and unjustifiable.
He further observed that while the PTA had caused immense harm to the people of the Tamil homeland and beyond, it nevertheless allowed for a limited degree of judicial oversight. In contrast, the newly proposed legislation concentrates sweeping powers in the hands of the Sri Lankan President, the President’s Secretary, and the Ministry of Defence, effectively sidelining judicial intervention altogether.
Calling on the government to permanently abolish the PTA and abandon the proposed replacement law, Aalam urged the authorities to instead govern through existing general laws, which he said are sufficient to maintain public order without eroding civil liberties.
Anthony Shankar, Coordinator of the Mannar Nesakaram Citizens’ Group, and Rita Vasanthi, President of the Valar Pirai Women’s Organisation, also addressed the media briefing, echoing concerns about the impact of the proposed legislation on civil society, women, and marginalised communities in the Mannar district.
