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ATA is a continuation of PTA in more repressive form – Prof. Uyangoda

Published

1 year ago

2023/04/7

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.

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Muslim group finds fault with govt. for lukewarm response

Published

2 hours ago

2024/09/16

Thilina Walpola

Sri Lankans in Indian custody (file photo)

Lankans arrested on terrorism charges:

‘Foreign Ministry didn’t bother at least to update us on their status’

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The All Ceylon Union of Muslim League Youth Fronts (ACUMLYF) yesterday (15) said that the government owed an explanation regarding the arrest of four Sri Lankans on terrorism charges in Gujarat in late May this year.The grouping President Sham Nawaz said that though they had made representations in this regard to State Foreign Minister Tharaka Balasuriya in the first week of June, the Foreign Ministry at least didn’t bother to respond.

“We are concerned about the arrested persons’ wellbeing,”

Nawaz said, declaring that the families of the detained have a right to know what was going on. Nawaz pointed out that some reports suggested that the arrested persons had arrived in India to cause mayhem during the general election.

Nawaz emphasized that their effort shouldn’t be misinterpreted as an attempt to intervene on behalf of a group dubbed terrorists. The arrests were made by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad. Responding to another query, Nawaz said that they emphasized the responsibility on the part of the government to represent the interests of the detained persons in terms of the Vienna Convention on consular assistance.

Pointing out the conflicting claims regarding the arrests made on May 19/20, Nawaz said that Sri Lanka should seek access to the detained men without further delay.

Asked whether the families of the detained or some other interested party sought their intervention or he knew them personally, Nawaz emphasized that ACUMLYE stepped-in on its own.

Nawaz said that the delegation received an assurance from State Minister Balasuriya that consular matters would be duly followed up and due consideration would be given to the issues at hand raised by them.

Nawaz said that the delegation stressed the need for an independent local investigation as many raised doubts over the continuing allegations regarding the ISIS operations here. Such fears impacted the economy in many ways, Nawaz said, reiterating the responsibility on the part of the government to conduct no holds barred investigation into the allegations made by Indian authorities.

Contrary to repeated declarations in Indian media that the four arrested at the Sardar Vallabhai Patel airport in Ahmedabad had been linked to ISIS and coordinated by a Pakistani handler, investigations conducted by Sri Lankan authorities contradicted the Indian findings.

Authoritative officials said that India was yet to grant Sri Lankan investigators access to the suspects. Following the arrests made in Gujarat, nearly a dozen suspects were apprehended here, they said. According to them, Indian authorities had been promptly briefed of the status of the investigations conducted here though the two parties were yet to reach consensus on the issue at hand.

Responding to another query, Nawaz said that they wouldn’t seek the intervention of the Indian High Commission here. “We took up this issue with the State Foreign Minister three and half months ago. The FM’s failure to address our concerns is of grave concern and evidence of the pathetic state of affairs,” Nawaz said.

Nawaz alleged that at the drop of a hat those who had been detained in Gujarat were accused of being ISIS operatives. Referring to statements attributed to various Sri Lankan authorities with access to local investigations, Nawaz questioned whether Gujarat remained committed to the original charges or were prepared to reconsider the suspects’ status having taken into consideration investigations conducted by Sri Lankan authorities. Investigations have revealed that all of them had been involved in various nefarious activities over the years but never known for religious extremism.

News

Sajith to transform healthcare system if elected President

Published

2 hours ago

2024/09/16

Thilina Walpola

Sajith

SJB and Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa has pledged to usher in a transformative era for the country’s healthcare if he is elected President.Speaking at a health conference in Colombo on Saturday, Premadasa said: “After the 21st, we will have the opportunity to address all critical issues that have long plagued our health system.”

Transforming Sri Lanka’s healthcare infrastructure was not a task that was attainable solely with the help of the traditional public investment and funding. Instead, he said he would adopt a fresh approach that included a robust foster care system for every Medical Officer of Health (MOH) division and hospital across the country.

Premadasa proposed the introduction of a charity system to supplement government funding. “While various stakeholders often highlight allocations as a percentage of GDP, we need to recognize that government investment alone is insufficient to revitalize our health system,” he noted.

Premadasa also highlighted the importance of preventive healthcare. He acknowledged the existing preventive initiatives under the MOH divisions and pledged to enhance these efforts to ensure healthier lives for all Sri Lankans.

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It is everybody’s responsibility to support economic recovery programme – President

Published

2 hours ago

2024/09/16

Thilina Walpola

President Ranil Wickremesinghe says it is everyone’s responsibility to support the ongoing economic recovery programme because the country cannot face another economic crisis.Addressing a political rally in Jaffna on Saturday, President Wickremesinghe referred to a statement issued by the IMF Friday, warning that if the government did not continue the programme it started with the IMF, the economy could collapse again.

The President stressed that if the recovery programme continued for another three years, no one would be able to destabilise the country’s economy. He said that the issues in the North could not be limited to just political problems. “If development does not take place, the North will fall behind while other provinces move forward,” he said, adding that he would address both the political and developmental challenges in the North.

The President reiterated that his policy statement includes strengthening provincial councils and delegating more powers to them. He also mentioned that, under the framework of nine provincial administrations, development plans would be accelerated to assist the central government.

“We have made progress on land issues and are working towards implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Additionally, we are moving forward with the recommendations of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry for the Appraisal of the Findings of Previous Commissions and Committees, headed by Supreme Court Judge A. H. M. D. Nawaz. We have also introduced a bill addressing Muslim burial rights.

Recalling how former Agriculture Minister Anura Kumara led a major movement in the South against the Provincial Councils and various promises were made to the people of Jaffna today, he said there must be a commitment to ensure these promises are fulfilled.

He also reflected on the recent economic crisis when Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim communities had lost hope and had no clear vision for the future.

Wickremesinghe said that he provided a vision for the future through the “Puluwan Sri Lanka” plan, which has since opened doors for the country’s economic recovery. He affirmed his commitment to developing the North and pointed out that neither Sajith Premadasa nor Anura Kumara has a solution for the region’s needs.