News
Sri Lanka reiterates commitment to repeal PTA in talks with EU
Sri Lanka has again declared its commitment to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) during the recently concluded talks with the European Union.
At the eighth meeting of the Working Group on Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights under the EU-Sri Lanka Joint Commission, held in Colombo, Sri Lankan representatives “confirmed the commitment to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), and briefed the Working Group on the timeline to replace it with new counter-terrorism legislation in compliance with international norms and standards.”
The PTA has long drawn criticism from civil society, rights organisations, and international observers. The law has enabled arbitrary detention and torture for decades, particularly against Tamils. Despite repeated pledges by successive governments, no comprehensive repeal has yet materialised.
Though the National People’s Power (NPP)-backed government has stated its commitment to repeal the PTA during election campaigns last year, once in power it has not yet taken legislative action to do so.
The following is the text of the joint statement issued by the government and the EU: The eighth meeting of the Working Group on Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights under the EU-Sri Lanka Joint Commission was held in Colombo on 5 May.
The Working Group discussed a range of matters of mutual interest, including efforts to combatting corruption, upholding human rights including labour rights; rights of persons belonging to minorities; women’s rights; child rights; a conducive space for civil society; strengthening electoral processes; and preventing discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation.
During the discussions, the European Union congratulated Sri Lanka on the well-organised and peaceful Presidential and Parliamentary elections last year and Sri Lanka appreciated the European Union Election Observation Mission at the Presidential elections.
The European Union also congratulated Sri Lanka on the stabilisation of the economy, continued efforts towards recovery and important initiatives such as the Government Action Plan for the implementation of governance reforms based on the IMF recommendations. Sri Lanka briefed the European Union on the adoption of the National Action Plan to Combat Corruption as well as steps taken to strengthen the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC). The EU and Sri Lanka agreed on the importance of governance and judicial processes to strengthen the rule of law. The Sri Lanka side briefed the EU on the steps being taken by the Government since its election to strengthen the democratic process, governance, rule of law and the legal framework for protecting and promoting human rights. They agreed on the important role of civil society organisations, particularly in fostering inclusive and consultative legislative processes within democratic societies.
The Working Group reiterated its shared commitment to promote and protect human rights and to collaborate, as applicable, on the effective implementation of international human rights instruments. Sri Lanka confirmed the commitment to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), and briefed the Working Group on the timeline to replace it with new counter-terrorism legislation in compliance with international norms and standards. The European Union recalled the need to bring relevant legislation in line with international Human Rights and ILO conventions to ensure continued access to the European market through the GSP+ trade preferences.
The European Union welcomed the commitment of the Government to end discrimination and build national unity, as well as the pledge to strengthen the truth and reconciliation framework in Sri Lanka, through an inclusive and participative process of all communities.
The EU and Sri Lanka reiterated their commitment to continue to work in the multilateral UN framework and continue their engagement with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Human Rights Council.
The European Union and Sri Lanka also reaffirmed their shared commitment to continuing to support a multilateral, rules-based international order grounded in international law, with the United Nations at its core.
The conclusions and recommendations of the Working Group will be reported to the EU-Sri Lanka Joint Commission to be held in Colombo during the latter half of the year.
The Delegation of Sri Lanka was led by Sugeeshwara Gunaratna, Director-General/ Europe and North America Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism. The Delegation of the European Union was led by Charles Whiteley, Head of the South Asia Division of the European External Action Service.
Trade unions of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), backed by the powerful Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union, have warned of accelerated trade union action following the collapse of crucial discussions held on Monday (16) with the CEB Chairman, who also serves as Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy.
The issue is expected to take centre stage at today’s press conference, with unions signalling that a token strike, possibly a 12-hour countrywide action, could be staged next week unless authorities urgently intervene.
The meeting earlier this week ended without what union representatives described as any “positive or constructive outcome.”
Trade union leaders expressed disappointment that their key concerns had not been substantively addressed during discussions with the Chairman.
At the heart of the dispute is the unions’ demand for a collective agreement in accordance with Section 18(j) of the Sri Lanka Electricity Act No. 36 of 2024. Trade union representatives maintain that the law provides for structured engagement between management and employees and that a formal collective agreement is necessary to ensure transparency and industrial stability within the institution.
The unions also submitted what they termed a reasonable proposal to safeguard the CEB Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), voicing concerns over the long-term security of workers’ retirement benefits.
However, according to trade union sources, those proposals were not adequately taken up during the discussions.
A senior electrical engineer told The Island that further internal consultations were being held to decide the next course of action. “There is growing frustration among employees. The issues raised are fundamental and relate directly to statutory compliance and the financial security of staff,” he said.
The Island learns that unless there is meaningful engagement from the authorities, the proposed token strike could mark the beginning of more stringent industrial action.
Energy sector observers warn that any escalation of trade union unrest at the CEB could have serious implications for the country’s power sector stability at a critical time.Further developments are expected following today’s media briefing.
By Ifham Nizam
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya yesterday (19) revealed allowances and benefits provided to Members of Parliament at present.She did so while responding to a question raised by Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Chaminda Wijesiri.
According to the disclosure:
An MP receives a monthly allowance of Rs. 54,285, with an entertainment allowance of Rs. 1,000 per month.
Driver allowance is Rs. 3,500 per month; however, if the MP is provided with a driver by the Ministry of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, no driver allowance is paid.
Telephone allowance is Rs. 50,000, while transport allowance is Rs. 15,000 per month.
Office allowance amounts to Rs. 100,000.
MPs attending parliamentary sessions receive Rs. 2,500 per day, while Rs. 2,500 per day are given for MPs attending committee meetings on non-sitting days.
Meanwhile, Members of Parliament also receive a fuel allowance based on the distance from their elected district to Parliament.
For national list MPs, this is calculated as 419.76 liters of diesel per month, paid at the approved market rate on the first day of each month.Dr. Amarasuriya also emphasised that these allowances are structured to cover official duties and transportation costs.
Former OIC of the Cyber Crime Investigation and Intelligence Analysis Unit of the CID, M.M.U. Subhasinghe, yesterday expressed his regret in writing to civil activist and comedian Natasha Edirisooriya at the Supreme Court regarding her arrest under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act.
The Attorney General’s Department, appearing on behalf of the respondents, informed the court that the IGP would issue a set of guidelines via a circular to all police officers to prevent unlawful arrests under this Act in the future. It was further noted that the circular would be issued within two weeks, and the petitioner, Natasha Edirisooriya, has examined and agreed to these guidelines.
These submissions were made yesterday before a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, during the hearing of the Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed by Edirisooriya challenging her unlawful arrest.
Following these developments, the court ordered the respondents to inform the court via a motion within two weeks of issuing the IGP’s circular and ordered the conclusion of the case proceedings.
Natasha Edirisooriya was present in open court yesterday. Addressing her, Chief Justice Surasena stated that the court appreciates the manner in which the legal proceedings were brought to a conclusion.
The letter expressing regret stated: “As the arresting officer, considering the totality of circumstances, I wish to express deep regret to you for the arrest on 27th May 2023 and your incarceration in remand custody till 5th July 2023 consequent thereto. I also extend my deep regret regarding the damage that may have been caused to your reputation and dignity, and mental and emotional trauma caused by the arrest and incarceration.”
The respondents agreed to express this regret and issue the circular based on the specific conditions put forward by Edirisooriya in consultation with her counsel Suren Fernando and the legal team.
By AJA Abeynayake
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