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Govt. bringing in new laws to suppress democratic dissent – SJB

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SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara yesterday said that the government was all out to bring in the Anti-Terrorism Bill and the Online Safety Bill to use them against its political opponents at future elections.

Addressing the media at the Opposition Leader’s Office in Colombo, Madduma Bandara said that both those new legislations were draconian laws that curbed the people’s democratic rights and freedoms. “The government and the Speaker rushed the Online Safety Bill through Parliament neglecting the Supreme Court guidelines to amend them. No Speaker overlooked Supreme Court determinations in the past,” Madduma Bandara said.

“The Anti-Terrorism Bill contains many draconian regulations. For example, as per the clauses in this bill, any person could be taken into custody without permission from a court of law and detained indefinitely. The Bill seeks to grant judicial powers to the DIGs. As per the Bill, the Defence Secretary has many discretionary powers. A secretary to the Ministry of Defence is a political appointment. It is anybody’s guess what will happen to democratic freedoms and rights when a political appointee is given discretionary powers to hold a person in detention,” Madduma Bandara said.

Former MP Hirunika Premachandra also addressed the press.

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