Hyder Ali – Paris France
The Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) of Sri Lanka stands as one of the most draconian pieces of legislation in South Asia. Originally designed to combat armed insurgencies, it has been persistently abused to suppress dissent, target minorities, and crush political opposition. Enacted in 1979 under the J.R. Jayewardene government, the PTA was a response to the growing Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) insurgency, which challenged the state with Marxist revolutionary violence. However, what began as an emergency tool soon became a permanent fixture in Sri Lanka’s legal system, evolving into a weapon of state oppression against Sinhala youth, Tamil activists, journalists, civil society activists, Muslims, and now pro-Palestinian voices.
Historical Roots: The PTA’s Origins and Early Use Against Sinhala Youth.
The PTA was first implemented to crush the JVP uprising in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The government used it to arbitrarily detain, torture, and disappear thousands of Sinhala youths suspected of leftist sympathies. The law allowed:
– Detention without trial for up to 18 months.
– Confessions obtained under torture as admissible evidence.
– Banning of political organizations without due process.
While the JVP rebellion was brutally suppressed, the PTA remained, setting a dangerous precedent for indefinite state repression.
PTA Against Tamils: A Tool of War and Ethnic Repression
By the mid-1980s, the PTA became the primary legal instrument used to target Tamil youth during the civil war. The government justified:
– Mass arrests of Tamil civilians under vague “terrorism” suspicions.
– Long-term detention without charge, leading to countless cases of torture.
– Crackdowns on Tamil media and political activism.
Even after the war ended in 2009, the PTA was not repealed. Instead, it was used to keep Tamil political prisoners in custody for years without trial, fueling grievances in the North and East.
Post-War Expansion: Targeting Journalists, Activists, and Muslims
The abuse of the PTA did not stop with Tamils. Successive governments wielded it against:
– Journalists like Tissanayagam, were arrested for “supporting terrorism” in his writing.
– Civil society members, including human rights defenders documenting state abuses.
– Muslims following the 2019 Easter Attacks, faced arbitrary detentions under “anti-terror” pretexts.
The Easter bombings became an excuse for mass arrests of Muslims, many of whom were held for years without evidence. The PTA, rather than combating real terrorism, became a tool for collective punishment.
Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Hypocrisy: From Reform Promises to Aragalaya Crackdowns
President Ranil Wickremesinghe, once a critic of the PTA, fully embraced it after coming to power in 2022. During the Aragalaya (People’s Struggle) protests, his government:
– Arrested student activists under the PTA.
– Branded protesters as “terrorists” for demanding government accountability.
– Extended the PTA’s use to silence dissent.
Despite international pressure to repeal the law, Wickremesinghe strengthened it, proving that the PTA is not about security; it is about power.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake: The Marxist Turned Netanyahu Apologist?
The latest twist is the hypocrisy of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his National People’s Power (NPP/JVP). Once a fierce critic of the PTA—having suffered under it during the JR Jayewardene and Premadasa regimes—AKD now presides over its use against pro-Palestinian activists.
The arrest of Mr Rushdie (22) for sticking a pro-Palestine sticker exposes the absurdity of the PTA. AKD, who once condemned state repression, now aligns with US-Israel interests, using the same law that once targeted his own party to suppress anti-war voices.
The PTA is not a counter-terrorism law; it is a weapon of political control. Used first against Sinhala Marxists, then Tamil rebels, then Muslims, and now pro-Palestine activists, it has no place in a democracy. If Sri Lanka is serious about justice, the PTA must be abolished, not repurposed by every new regime. Until then, no one—Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, or activist—is safe from its draconian grip.
Broken Promises & Hypocrisy: Sri Lanka’s PTA – A Law of Deception and DoubleStandards
The Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) has long been a stain on Sri Lanka’s democracy—a law so draconian that even the government has repeatedly promised to abolish it before the United Nations, European Union, and international human rights bodies. Yet, decade after decade, these promises remain empty words, while the PTA continues to be a tool of repression, wielded by every regime against its opponents.
Empty Promises to the World: Sri Lanka’s Deception in Geneva
For years, Sri Lankan governments—whether Rajapaksa, Sirisena, or Wickremesinghe—have stood before the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, pledging to reform or repeal the PTA.
– 2015: The Good Governance government (Maithripala-Ranil) vowed to replace the PTA with a “human rights- compliant” counter-terror law. Nothing happened.
– 2020-2023: Under Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka repeatedly assured the EU and UN of PTA reforms to retain GSP+ trade benefits. Yet, arrests under the PTA increased.
– 2024: Now, President Anura Dissanayake, whose own party suffered under the PTA, continues the same lies, using the law to crush dissent while telling the world he will “review” it.
These broken promises prove one thing: No Sri Lankan government truly wants to abolish thePTA—because it is too useful for silencing critics, minorities, and political rivals.
From Protest Leader to Persecutor: Anura’s Shameful Betrayal
The greatest irony is President Anura Dissanayake himself. As a Marxist firebrand, he protested against the PTA when his JVP comrades were tortured and killed under it. He condemned its use against Tamils and Muslims, calling it a racist, oppressive law, and demanded its abolition, standing with victims of state terror.
AKD’s Goal today:
– His government arrests a 22-year-old, Mr. Rushdie, for a pro-Palestine sticker under the PTA.
– His police, now pro-Israel, scramble to fabricate “terror links” to justify the arrest.
– His party members, who once championed Palestine, now parrot Netanyahu’s rhetoric while suppressing solidarity protests.
This is not just hypocrisy—it is betrayal. The same law that once jailed and tortured Anura’scomrades is now his weapon to crush dissent.
Fabricating Terror: The Rushdie Case Exposes PTA’s Brutal Absurdity
Mr. Rushdie’s arrest is a textbook example of PTA abuse:
1. First Accusation: Sticking a pro-Palestine sticker (as if solidarity is terrorism).
2. Police “Discovery”: Suddenly, they claim he has “terror links”—a classic tactic to justify PTA detention.
3. Next Step: Lengthy imprisonment without trial, possibly torture to extract a false confession.
This is how the PTA has always worked—first arrest, then invent charges. Whether against Sinhala youth in the 1980s, Tamils in the 2000s, Muslims after Easter attacks, or protesters in 2022, the pattern repeats.
The PTA Must Die—But Who Will Kill It?
Every Sri Lankan leader lies about abolishing the PTA because they all benefit from it. The international community must stop accepting empty promises and demands:
– Immediate release of M. Rushdie & all PTA detainees.
– Unconditional repeal of the PTA.
– End to political persecution under false “terror” charges.
Until then, no one—Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, journalist, or activist—is safe. The PTA is not a counter-terror law; it is the terror of the state itself.
Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) has long been a weapon of mass repression—first used against Sinhala Marxists, then Tamil rebels, then Muslims, and now pro-Palestinian activists. The most damning indictment of this draconian law is not just its brutality—it’s the hypocrisy of those who once suffered under it, only to wield it against others once in power.
At the center of this betrayal? President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD), the former firebrand Marxist who once decried the PTA as a tool of state terror but today, as president, signs detention orders to jail a 22-year-old for sticking a pro-Palestine sticker.
The PTA’s bloody history reveals its transformation into a tool of oppression, necessitating urgent reforms and accountability. The call for its abolition is not just a demand for justice; it is a plea for the protection of all dissenting voices in Sri Lanka.
