The National People’s Power (NPP) government, led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, is facing fierce criticism over its proposed “State Security (Counter-Terrorism) Bill” (PSTA), which opponents argue is an attempt to establish a repressive regime in the country. The collective “Dinana Dakuna” (Winning South) describes the bill, introduced under the guise of preventing terrorism, as a “double-edged sword”—an extremely dangerous and draconian legal framework. The organization highlights the profound irony (paradox) that the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), which protested against repressive laws like the PTA, CTA, and ATA under various governments since 1979, is now introducing a similarly restrictive legal structure after coming to power.
Legal experts warn that the new bill fundamentally violates the core principles of the UN Human Rights Charter and the Rule of Law. The PSTA broadly defines “terrorism” to encompass actions that could be interpreted as protests against the political government, rather than solely acts against the independent state. This dangerously opens the door for citizens who criticize government failings, trade union activists, and journalists to be branded as terrorists and arbitrarily arrested at any moment. Critics argue this is a brutal system where the state controls citizens through fear of punishment, rather than protecting fundamental rights through law.
Of particular concern is the bill’s severe undermining of judicial independence and the principle of the Separation of Powers. The authority to determine a fault has been removed from an independent magistrate and handed over to the Ministry Secretary, a representative of the Executive, thereby politicizing the justice process. Furthermore, the bill completely strips citizens of their personal liberty through warrantless searches and the inspection of bank and digital data, effectively adopting a presumption of guilt instead of the Presumption of Innocence. “Dinana Dakuna” warns that thousands of innocent individuals risk incarceration under such a law.
International human rights organizations note that countries like Sri Lanka often use such repressive laws to suppress public dissent. Pressure is mounting on President Dissanayake’s government to immediately withdraw the draft and initiate a broad public dialogue for a new bill focused on the citizens’ perspective. Critics argue that utilizing 20th-century models of repressive laws to combat 21st-century terrorism merely confirms the government’s inability to govern and its fear of democracy. The public warns that if this “black bill” is passed, it will be the death knell for the country’s democratic structure.
