REDRAFTING—Sri Lanka’s Anti Terrorism Bill -Cabinet Approves.

“In accordance with  necessary revisions  as per the recommendations and suggestions submitted by various interest groups to individuals, the cabinet of ministers were granted permission to redraft  Sri Lanka’s anti terrorism bill “, Stated minister Bandula Gunawardana at a Press briefing held on the 29th August.

The approval was issued at a Cabinet meeting held on the 28 of August. Legal Drafting  of the new bill will be overlooked and directed by Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, Minister of Justice prison affairs and constitutional reforms. He will be adding necessary amendments for the previous bill with additional revisions.

When this bill was previously tabled at the parliament, the Minister said the government took great deal of consideration and objection it received by religious parties to organization, from individuals in Academia to of various civil rights movements particularly the severe criticism it came under from International governing bodies. The Minister said revisions will be introduced considering and reviewing the submissions the Ministry had received.

Minister further clarified that required amendments for the bill to be introduced and to be embedded was decided upon after giving a great deal of consideration into certain areas that had been outlined by various civil rights groups to individuals, “within the previous bill had the probability of violating certain rights and privileges of social groups and individuals”.

This so-called anti terrorism act  was first published on the 27th of February 2023. Its whole purpose was to override and to replace the existing Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) that was constituted on act 48 of 1979. To everyone’s surprise though this 1979 tabled  act is still in use within Sri Lanka despite the fact the 3 decades long  Sri Lankan civil war ended back in 2009. Both Sri Lanka  armed forces to Police and to the judiciary make use of this act to date. 

However it should be noted the bill submitted in the February of 2023  had more stringent rules and regulation been embedded into the new anti terrorism bill including control and black out of social media platforms that would voice against  government decisions.

Particularly it barred criticism of the President under any Circumstances. (almost like in prehistoric ages…the king can’t be criticized)

And due to these circumstances many local to International civil rights organizations have heavily criticized the newly tabled to be approved anti terrorism act back in February of 2023. And under such  scrutiny the government had withdrawn  the bill being presented to the parliament.