The Sri Lankan president issued an order to the security forces and police chief to arrest all who incite racism, the Daily Mirror reported.
The statement was made at a meeting at the president's official residence in Colombo this week.
The justice minister, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe reportedly added that "steps had already been taken to draft the law and pointed out that even under the existing provisions of the Penal Code, inciters of racism were liable for one year imprisonment."
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.