President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has issued an extraordinary gazette notification banning 11 extremist Islamic organizations in Sri Lanka.
The document was published on Tuesday (April 13), as per section 27 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act, No. 48 of 1979.
Accordingly, the Prevention of Terrorism (Proscription of Extremist Organizations) Regulations No. 2 of 2021 specified in the gazette notification have proscribed the following extremist groups in Sri Lanka:
1. United Thawheed (Thowheedh) Jamma’ath (UTJ)
2. Ceylon Thawheed (Thowheedh) Jamma’ath (CTJ)
3. Sri Lanka Thawheed (Thowheedh) Jamma’ath (SLTJ)
4. All Ceylon Thawheed (Thowheedh) Jamma’ath (ACTJ)
5. Jamiyathul Ansaari Sunnathul Mohomadiya (JASM) alias Jamma’ath Ansaaris Sunnathil Mohomadiya Organization alias All Ceylon Jam-E- Athu Ansaris Sunnathil Mohammadiya alias Ansaris Sunnathil Mohammadiya Association alias Jama’ath Ansaris Sunnathil Mohammadiya
6. Dharul Adhar alias Jamiul Athar Mosque alias Dharul Athar Quran Madrasa alias Dharul Aadhaar Ath’thabawiyya
7. Sri Lanka Islamic Student Movement (SLISM) alias Jamia
8. Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) alias Al – Dawlah al – Islamiah Dawla Islamia
9. Al-Qaeda
10. Save the Pearls alias Save the Pearl Society
11. Super Muslim
These extremist Islamic organizations were proscribed with the purpose of ensuring the continuance of peace within the country and in the interest of national security, public order, and the rule of law, the gazette notification read.
Regulation 3 of the relevant gazette notification stresses that being a member or cadre of; providing leadership to; wearing, displaying, hoisting or possessing the uniform, dress, symbol, emblem, or flag of; summoning, convening, conducting or taking part in a meeting of; obtaining membership or joining; harbouring, concealing, assisting a member, cadre or any other associate of; promoting, encouraging, supporting, advising, assisting, acting on behalf of; organizing or taking part in any activity or event of; donating or contributing money or material to; procuring, storing, transporting, possessing or distributing material for or of; espousing the cause of or representing; engaging in any transaction with; or causing the dissemination of information on behalf of the aforementioned organizations or any other organization representing, acting on behalf of or linked to them are henceforth disallowed.
Any person who acts in contravention of the third regulation will be sentenced to a term of imprisonment not exceeding twenty years, on conviction by a high court, the gazette noted.
Further, any person who conspires to commit or attempts, abets or engages in any conduct in preparation to commit an offence in contravention of the third regulation, commits an offence will be sentenced to a term of imprisonment not exceeding ten years, on conviction by a high court.
Meanwhile, money, securities, credits or any other movable or immovable property belonging to such organization, will be forfeited to the State.