Broken promises and Protection of the State from Terrorism Act

Having promised to abolish all oppressive legislation, the people now find government enacting legislation to protect itself from the people!

Power corrupts,  and absolute power corrupts absolutely,  is an aphorism.  It warns that holding high authority, especially without checks and balances,  leads to  immoral behaviour.  Today,  our National People’s Power (NPP) led government, which was voted into power with a two-thirds majority,  is in this position.

Having promised to abolish all oppressive legislation, the people now find government enacting legislation to protect itself from the people! The NPP government having failed to live up to its pre-election promises, is building safe guards via a draconian newfangled terrorism act.

The NPPgovernment has not been able to fulfill most its pre-election pledges. Among its major promises was to lower the cost of living,  which left over a quarter of the population living below the poverty line. It (the NPP) promised to renegotiate the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Funding Facility Agreement which helped bring a degree of economic stability to the country, but brought economic hardship to more than a quarter of the population.

The attempted move spectacularly failed as the IMF refused any space for negotiation, leave alone renegotiation. 

The party also promised to bring to book corrupt politicians who have continued to steal the country blind. Initially a number of high-ranking politicians and officials were taken in for questioning. Among those taken was an ex-President and a few Ministers of state. Unfortunately,   what the country witnessed was these persons walking in and out of courts quite akin to walking through a revolving door.

Again, it seems the really big fish  have not been  taken in for questioning. They continue to be living their familiar life-styles which drove the country into its bankrupt position. 

The NPP during its pre-election promises blamed past regimes for their collective failure to expose those behind the ‘Easter Sunday’ terror attacks (April 2019) which left nearly 270 persons killed and around 500 injured. It promised to re-open the case and expose the master-minds behind the heinous attack. 

Today more than six years after the attack took place, and over a year since the NPP was propelled to power, the country is no nearer to learning the truth as to who was behind that attacks than we were in the immediate aftermath of the attack itself. Despite a number of protests demanding justice for the victims, the country is today as unaware of either the motives behind the attacks,  or the handlers who master-minded the terroristic act.

Human rights and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) figures prominently in the NPP election manifesto.The abolition of all oppressive acts including the PTA, and ensuring civil rights of people in all parts of the country, is another of the pledges made by the present government. 

Herein lies a tale; shortly after coming into power,  Minister Herath in October 2024 announced: “the PTA would not be repealed or amended…” He promised the draconian law would not be “abused” by the new regime. 

Today, the government is currently in the process of replacing the PTA with a new, controversial anti-terror law – The Protection of the State from Terrorism Act (PSTA). The new legislation broadens the range of offences of terrorism and offences related to terrorism. It extends the powers of arrest and detention. In addition,  it bestows on the Attorney General powers to compel admissions of guilt.

 If it was not so sad, it would be funny. The party (NPP) which promised to abolish all oppressive legislation and ensure civil rights of people in all parts of the country, is now bringing in a bill to protect state from terrorism!

With this proposed piece of legislation,  the NPP government is following in the footsteps of its predecessor governments. It has conveniently forgotten election promises. It also shows its intentions to use draconian legislation to prevent activities which IT ALONE refers to as terrorism.