The Government yesterday (10) stressed that the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act as amended (PTA) as well as the Online Safety Act should be urgently revisited, as it is crucial to address the concerns surrounding such laws that have negatively affected public trust in the country’s law.
Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara made these remarks during a media forum held in Colombo on human rights related concerns. The Convenor of the Justice for All group that organised the said event, President’s Counsel and former Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran emphasised that the PTA should be repealed regardless of a replacement, and that the PTA’s repeal should not be dependent on a replacement. Noting that Sri Lanka has in place various other laws that can be employed to deal with emergency situations, he said that the repeal of the PTA will therefore not have an impact on national security. In addition, Sumanthiran expressed concerns that waiting for an appropriate replacement to repeal the PTA will delay the repeal of the PTA which he stressed is urgent.
Meanwhile, Samagi Jana Balawegaya Opposition MP Harshana Rajakaruna said that a moratorium on the use of the PTA should be demanded, regarding which the group however expressed concerns as such moratoriums declared in the past have been violated.