A large scale protest was held in Jaffna last week demanding the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and rejecting the government’s proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill (PSTB).
Organised by the Thaayaga Seyalani organisation, the demonstration was held under the slogan, “We want neither the old nor the new.” The protest commenced at the Jaffna Public Library and proceeded in a march to the Northern Governor’s Office, where it concluded.
A significant number of participants took part, including representatives of several political parties, families of the forcibly disappeared and members of the public from across the Tamil homeland.
Protesters called for the complete repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, which has been in force for decades and has been widely condemned by Eelam Tamils as a tool of state repression. The Act has enabled prolonged detention without charge and has been linked to torture, enforced disappearances and the suppression of political dissent in the North-East.
Participants also rejected the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill, arguing that it risks entrenching similar powers under a different name. Tamil civil society groups have warned that the draft legislation fails to address the fundamental concerns associated with the PTA and may expand executive authority at the expense of civil liberties.
The protest in Jaffna forms part of a broader mobilisation across the Tamil North-East against both the existing security framework and its proposed replacement. In recent weeks, signature campaigns and demonstrations have been held in districts across the Tamil homeland, with local authorities and civil society organisations voicing opposition to new anti-terror legislation.
The march from the Jaffna Public Library, a site symbolic of Tamil cultural resilience, to the Northern Governor’s Office underscored growing frustration in the Tamil homeland over the persistence of emergency style laws more than 16 years after the end of the armed conflict.
