News
ATA is a continuation of PTA in more repressive form – Prof. Uyangoda
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The proposed Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) is a direct response to the citizens’ protest movement of 2022 and the continuation of these protests this year, Professor Jayadeva Uyangoda, a political scientist, said during an online seminar on the ATA, organised by the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) recently.
“The ATA is a continuation of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in a much repressive form. The terrorism it seeks to suppress is citizen’s political activism. The proposed law frames terrorism as a broad, arbitrary and an alarmingly undemocratic manner,” he said.Prof. Uyangoda said that people had used the term, ‘draconian’, to describe the PTA, however the new ATA went beyond the PTA in its repressive capacity.
“The present government and the President want to address two dimensions. One is that the authority and legitimacy of the current ruling class is in a severe crisis. Most of the people reject the political order run by the current politicians as a whole. This is a severe form of political crisis. The second aspect is that the executive presidential system introduced in 1978 has also faced a severe crisis. The crisis was so deep that unarmed protestors could dislodge a very powerful president. That crisis of executive political order continues,” he said.
What Wickremesinghe is trying to do is to resolve the twin crisis of the existing political order by using the state and political power he has access to. These twin crises occurred because politically conscious citizens not only reject, for the first time, the legitimacy of the political class but also, they are demanding a radical transformation of political culture and class, he said.
“This kind of transformative social demands are not acceptable for the ruling elites. So, what could they do? One thing they could do is introduce new legislation that would transform Sri Lanka into a police state under the supervision of the current political leadership. The political implications of the ATA are far reaching than the PTA or the emergency regulations that we have been having since the 1970s. ATA is trying to achieve what the PTA or the emergency regulations could not achieve, i.e. an effective police state. Sri Lanka is entering a state of heightened de-democratisation,” he said.
Sri Lanka has been in a path of rapid de-democratisation since the 1970s with sporadic attempts to re-democratise it by sections of the people and reformist politicians. However, last year Sri Lanka entered a new phase of re-democratisation with the protest movement.
“What the government has been trying to do is constantly terrorize the politically conscious and active groups of citizens,” he said.
The ATA criminalises the citizen’s political activism and in turn makes the citizen’s political activism an anti-state political activism, Uyangoda said.
“The punishment for activism is 20 years in jail. One of the lessons that the political class has learnt from the protests last year is that they should not allow Sri Lankans to become active, assertive citizens. They don’t only want passive citizens but also subservient citizens. They want to make politically active citizens to be criminals. That is the police state dimension of this,” he said.
He added the proposed ATA is also an attempt by the government to prepare for the social unrest that is likely to arise in the country due to its disastrous austerity measures.
Uyangoda suggests that the burden of economic revival is being placed solely on the poor and middle class, which has created an impending social crisis. He views the proposed ATA as a continuation of the current Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in a much more oppressive form that seeks to counter citizens’ political activism. He warned that the ruling class’s undemocratic response to quash protests and demonstrations would further oppress the people and turn them into terrorists.
Uyangoda argued that the ruling class was aware that their economic programme was likely to lead to daily protests and demonstrations on the country’s roads, and they were trying to prevent such events by strengthening their capabilities and passing oppressive laws. He urged the government to reconsider their approach, warning that such laws will only exacerbate the social crisis and lead to further unrest.
“The middle class has become somewhat politically active. They are the ones opposing the new tax reforms the most. So, the proletariat and the middle classes have both become politicised. One of the ways that capitalism can respond to this is by forcefully de-politicising the people. To achieve this the government has to further strengthen the repressive laws and mechanisms it has. The new enemies of the ruling class are political citizens, the trade unions, the farmers, etc. The government wants to make any form of opposition and act of terrorism,” he said.
Prof. Shyama Banneheka, head of FUTA said that the proposed ATA goes beyond anti-terrorism laws found in most countries. However, it is quite similar to laws passed by governments that attempt to crush dissent and suppress perceived threats by aggrieved people who are affected by disastrous government policies.
Meanwhile, Ermiza Tegal, lawyer and a human rights activist, said that the ATA allows the executive to take over the power of the judiciary. The ATA has a clause empowering the President to make regulations and directions.
“Right now emergency law is the only law that the President can make and that is in an emergency situation. This ATA allows the president to make regulations and directions not only during a time of emergency,” she said.
The General Manager of Railways has announced that the following special train services will operate during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year period.
1. From Colombo Fort to Badulla – departing Colombo Fort at 1930 hrs on 11th, 12th, 19th and 20th April
2. From Badulla to Colombo Fort – departing Badulla at 1750 hrs on 11th, 12th, 19th and 20th April
3. From Galle to Anuradhapura – departing Galle at 0400 hrs on 12th and 13th April
4. From Anuradhapura to Galle – departing Anuradhapura at 1500 hrs on 12th and 13th April
5. From Colombo Fort to Galle – departing Colombo Fort at 120 hrs on 10th, 11th, 15th and 20th April
6. From Galle to Colombo Fort – departing Galle at 0610 hrs on 11th, 12th, 16th and 21st April
7. From Colombo Fort to Galle – departing Colombo Fort at 1330 hrs on 12th and 13th April
8. From Colombo Fort to Kankasanthurai [Intercity Express] – departing Colombo Fort at 0530 hrs on 11th and 18th April
9. From Kankasanthurai to Colombo Fort [Intercity Express] – departing Kankasanthurai at 1350 hrs on 11th and 18th April
10. From Beliatta to Colombo Fort – departing Beliatta at 0825 hrs on 12th, 13th, 18th, 19th and 20th April
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya visited Hamburg, Germany, focusing on strengthening vocational education and economic partnerships between the two nations. During her visit, she participated in the 102nd East Asia Friendship Dinner, met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and engaged in high-level discussions on investment, education, and economic reforms.
As a Guest of Honour at the German Asia-Pacific Business Association (OAV) annual gathering, Prime Minister Amarasuriya addressed an audience of business leaders and dignitaries, emphasizing Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and its potential as a growing investment destination. She highlighted the contributions of over 160 German companies in Sri Lanka and invited further collaboration in trade and business.
In her capacity as the Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, the Prime Minister delivered a keynote speech at the ’German-Asian Forum on Vocational Education & Training.’ She acknowledged Germany’s decades-long support in Sri Lanka’s vocational education sector and stressed the importance of modernizing vocational training to align with industry demands. Additionally, she visited ITECH vocational school and German research hubs such as NXP Semiconductors and DESY, discussing collaboration in IT and technology-driven industries.
During her discussions with President Steinmeier, Prime Minister Amarasuriya reiterated Sri Lanka’s commitment to economic stability, social protection, and national unity. She also attended a business roundtable, where she engaged with German companies and government representatives on economic expansion, digitalization, and sustainable development initiatives.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Germany, Varuni Muthukumarana, and senior embassy officials.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Attorney-at-Law Senaka Perera on behalf of the Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners (Guarantee) Limited has asked Acting IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya to inquire into the death of Sathsara Nimesh soon after he was admitted to the Mulleriyawa mental hospital by Welikada police on the night of April 1.
In a letter dated April 3 addressed to the IGP, the lawyer said that the victim’s mother Lekamwasam Liyanage Samanthi, who visited Welikada police station the following day, thad been old that her son made a bid to commit suicide at the police station. Quoting the victim’s mother the lawyer said that the clothes worn by Nimesh at the time he was taken into custody by Welikada police were found within the premises.
Responding to queries, the human rights activist said that Nimesh had been caught by a group of people at Nawala road, Welikada around 7.30 pm-8 pm on April 1. Alleging that Nimesh who had been undergoing training at a private hospital as a caregiver was acting suspiciously, the group called in the police on 119 emergency line and handed him over to the police, Perera said, urging the IGP to ensure that the police followed laid out procedures when dealing with suspects.
The Attorney-at-law said that the victim’s mother had visited Mulleriyawa hospital and was able to speak with a doctor who had been present at the time Nimesh was brought there. The doctor had told her that her son was barely alive at the time he was brought in. Perera alleged that Welikada police made an attempt to allude that Nimesh was mentally unsound. If the police had been genuinely concerned about Nimesh in case he was experiencing sudden difficulty, they should have rushed him to the National Hospital, Perera said.
Acknowledging the need to deal firmly with those who are on the wrong side of the law, the rights group said that the police couldn’t adopt Gestapo-style strategies.
The National People’s Power (NPP) government couldn’t turn a blind eye to what was going on regardless of the change of government in last Sept. There had been at least two recent deaths in police custody, Perera said, referring to an incident in the Kotahena police area in the third week of February this year.
Police shot dead two persons arrested over the killing of Shashi Kumar in a mobile phone shop at Kotahena. Police claimed that law enforcement men had to open fire when the suspects made an attempt to grab a weapon from an officer while being taken to a hideout to recover hidden guns.
Lawyer Perera said that police should be ashamed to repeat a blatant lie often used by them though they knew no one accepted that.
Political parties represented in parliament should take up this matter vigorously, he said, urging the government to put an end to custodial deaths, he said. The lawyer pointed out that the Supreme Court, too, has intervened in the matter and the issue was taken up at the highest level.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Special Train Services during Sinhala and Tamil New Year
Trump tariffs trigger steepest US stocks drop since 2020 as China, EU vow to hit back
PM strengthens vocational education and economic ties with Germany
-
News4 days agoBid to include genocide allegation against Sri Lanka in Canada’s school curriculum thwarted
-
Sports5 days agoSri Lanka’s eternal search for the elusive all-rounder
-
News6 days agoGnanasara Thera urged to reveal masterminds behind Easter Sunday terror attacks
-
Sports1 day agoTo play or not to play is Richmond’s decision
-
News5 days agoComBank crowned Global Finance Best SME Bank in Sri Lanka for 3rd successive year
-
Features5 days agoSanctions by The Unpunished
-
Features5 days agoMore parliamentary giants I was privileged to know
-
Latest News3 days agoIPL 2025: Rookies Ashwani and Rickelton lead Mumbai Indians to first win