JVP accuses govt. of bringing in draconian laws to suppress dissent

By Saman Indrajith

The JVP yesterday alleged that the government had brought in new draft legislation to introduce new laws to silence those critical of its anti-democratic conduct.

Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, JVP-led NPP MP Vijitha Herath said that the implementation of IMF-advocated reforms would certainly be very oppressive and people would come out to the roads when they no longer could put up with them. “Now, the government is all out to sell public assets. This would result in job losses for thousands of people while hunger and frustration are on the rise; there would certainly be public protests. To counter this, the government has opted for draconian laws. They are bringing in a new Anti-Terrorism Bill to do away with the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The new bill will help brand anyone a terrorist and suppress his or her rights.

“We hear that some ministers say that this Anti-Terrorism law is a temporary measure. We heard the same when JR Jayewardene brought forward the PTA in 1979. But now everybody knows that temporary measure has been the cause of suffering for thousands of people for many decades. Political activists, journalists and civil society leaders had been detained, harassed and deprived of their democratic rights. This new law too is not a temporary measure. When the PTA was brought in it was said that law would be applied only against the Tamil youth in the North who had engaged in subversive activities. We then warned that the PTA would be used against the Southerners as well. Decades later now people know that we stand correct.

“We must stand up against this move and defeat this new law. This law will allow trade union and student leaders, journalists, and civil society leaders to be labeled as terrorists if they speak against the government and to detain them for 20 years without being charged before a court. As per the new law even the Coast Guard ratings could make arrests of civilians. An OIC of a police station will have the powers of getting biometric information of a person.”