Valikamam East and Thenmaradchi join growing opposition to PTA and PSTB

A signature campaign and protest were held across Thenmaradchi and Valikamam East in the Jaffna district, calling for the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and urging the withdrawal of the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill (PTSB).

In Thenmaradchi, a signature campaign was conducted on Thursday with members of the public voicing opposition to both the existing PTA and the proposed replacement legislation. Participants called for the complete repeal of the PTA and insisted that no replacement legislation should be introduced.

Valikamam East

In Valikamam East, members of the Pradeshiya Sabha staged a protest in front of the council premises prior to the start of the day’s sitting. Holding placards, councillors took part in a demonstration of attention, insisting that neither the PTA nor any replacement legislation is acceptable.

The protests form part of a wider mobilisation across the Tamil homeland against Sri Lanka’s security legislation, which Eelam Tamils have long condemned as a tool of state repression. The PTA has been used for decades to detain Tamils without charge, extract confessions under torture and suppress political dissent in the North-East.

Tamil civil society organisations have warned that the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill risks entrenching and expanding these powers. Critics argue that the draft law preserves sweeping detention provisions, undermines judicial oversight and threatens fundamental freedoms including expression and assembly.

Across the North-East, demonstrations, signature campaigns and local authority resolutions have intensified in recent weeks, reflecting growing opposition to both the PTA and the proposed bill. Earlier, local councils in the region also called for the repeal of the PTA and rejected new security legislation, citing concerns over militarisation and continued occupation in the Tamil homeland.

For protesters in Thenmaradchi and Valikamam East, the campaign reflects a continuing struggle by the Tamil nation of the North-East against laws widely viewed as instruments of structural discrimination and state repression.