The Jana Aragala Movement, led by the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), is to hold a demonstration at the Parliament roundabout at noon on Wednesday, demanding the withdrawal of two proposed security laws and the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
The movement wants the Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill (PSTB) and the Prevention of Organised Crime Bill (POCB) withdrawn. Wasantha Mudalige, a member of its National Executive Council, told reporters on Tuesday that trade unions, political activists and others who value democracy were invited to take part.
Mudalige said the government had planned to pass the PSTB in Parliament on 4 and 5 November but postponed the move because of strong public opposition. He said the movement welcomed the decision to heed public opinion, but insisted that both Bills should be withdrawn altogether.
He accused the government of seeking to use the proposed laws to suppress public dissent amid growing opposition to economic policies carried out under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. He said the tax burden on ordinary people had increased while concessions were being granted to politically connected business interests.
Mudalige also objected to provisions that would increase police detention powers and allow confessions obtained under coercion to be used as evidence in court. He said the economic situation could prompt another mass protest movement, similar to the 2022 Aragalaya, and alleged that the proposed laws were intended to prevent such protests.
He referred to the repression the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) experienced under the PTA, and called it a “tragedy” that a political movement which had itself faced such repression was now in government and seeking to introduce similar measures. “The PTA, PSTB and POCB are anti-people, repressive laws and must be withdrawn immediately,” he said.
The movement said it would continue its campaign until all three laws were repealed.
Background
The Prevention of Terrorism Act was introduced in 1979 as a temporary measure and made permanent in 1982. It allows suspects to be held for long periods without being charged. United Nations human rights bodies and local rights groups have long called for it to be repealed or reformed.
The two Bills now under protest are the PSTB, which deals with terrorism, and the POCB, which deals with organised crime. Mudalige said the PSTB was due to be taken up on 4 and 5 November before the plan was put off.
The Aragalaya was the mass protest movement of 2022, driven by shortages of fuel, food and medicine during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. It led to the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The FSP is a party that broke away from the JVP.
What it means
The movement’s objections centre on the provisions for longer police detention and for confessions obtained under coercion to be admitted as evidence. Mudalige warned that the proposed laws could restrict the public’s ability to protest over issues such as taxation and alleged corruption.
For now, the postponement means the PSTB will not be debated on the dates originally planned. Mudalige said the movement still wants both Bills withdrawn.
