The University of Jaffna has joined a widening campaign across the Tamil homeland opposing both Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and a newly proposed counter-terrorism law, as resistance intensifies against what campaigners describe as the continuation of repressive state powers.
The campaign is being carried out under the theme “Neither the old nor the new,” reflecting mounting opposition to both the existing PTA and the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill (PSTB). Organisers have called for the outright repeal of the PTA and the withdrawal of the new legislation.
At the University of Jaffna, the signature campaign commenced on Thursday and is scheduled to continue over four days until Sunday. Activities are being conducted in twelve sessions at the university’s indoor sports complex, enabling participation from staff and students across faculties and administrative divisions.
A parallel signature drive had also been set up outside the university premises, extending the campaign’s visibility beyond the campus and drawing participation from members of the wider public.
The mobilisation at the university is being jointly organised by the University Employees’ Union, the University Teachers’ Association and the University Students’ Union. All three bodies have urged the government to withdraw the proposed law and repeal the PTA, warning that successive counter-terror frameworks risk entrenching extraordinary powers under a different legislative guise rather than delivering meaningful reform.
Across the North and East, similar protests and signature campaigns have taken place in recent days. In Point Pedro, civil organisations conducted a signature campaign on Saturday, asserting that neither the PTA nor any proposed legislation framed as protecting the state from terrorism is acceptable.
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In Sengkalady, Batticaloa district, a large-scale campaign held on 20 February drew civil society activists from across the region. The protest, organised by the Batticaloa District Civil Society Activists’ Association, took place along Market Shop Street and saw participants call for the repeal of the PTA and oppose the proposed new law.
Civil society representatives warned that both the existing PTA and the proposed PSTB pose serious threats to civil liberties and democratic rights. Organisers distributed awareness leaflets outlining concerns that the new law could replicate or even expand the sweeping powers long associated with the PTA.
Opposition to the legislation has grown in recent weeks, with activists, religious leaders and civil society groups warning that the proposed reforms risk further entrenching repression under the pretext of national security. For many across the Tamil homeland, the campaign represents a broader rejection of decades of emergency-style laws that have facilitated arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and prolonged impunity.
