Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) Education Secretary, Pubudu Jagoda, has accused the government of preparing to pass a new repressive law,
He made the remarks while addressing a special press conference in Nugegoda on Sunday (28 Dec), regarding the government’s anti‑democratic interventions, including the new anti‑terror law and emergency regulations.
“At a time when society is still reeling from the Ditwah disaster, the National People’s Power government is preparing to pass a new repressive law. They came to power promising to abolish the Prevention of Terrorism Act, but now they are ready to introduce an even harsher law under the name PSTA. It is clear that this law will have serious consequences for society,” he said.
Pubudu Jagoda further claimed that under this new law, even pressuring the government not to do something can be defined as a terrorist act.
“For example, if someone tells the government to withdraw from the destructive IMF agreement, they could be arrested as a terrorist. Similarly, one cannot even pressure a foreign government. If someone tells India to cancel agreements signed with Sri Lanka, that too could be labelled terrorism. Clearly, this law is not about protecting the state but about suppressing criticism of the government.
“The power to sign detention orders is given to the Secretary of the Ministry of Defence. The Defence Secretary is not an elected representative accountable to the people but a political appointee. Such a person is now being given powers that belong to the judiciary. Furthermore, under Section 56, the Attorney General is allowed to pressure detainees, for instance, telling them that if they admit guilt, they will be rehabilitated and released in two years, but if not, they could face ten years in prison. Suspects could even strike deals with the Attorney General, who may then decide not to prosecute, leaving cases suspended for 20 years. What kind of law is this?” he said.
Pubudu Jagoda noted that according to Section 63, the President can ban any organization, and that opposing such a ban is also defined as terrorism.
“If this law is passed, even without a state of emergency, the military will be empowered to enter homes and conduct searches at will. Until now, even the police needed court approval for searches, but now the military will have authority without judicial oversight.
“Additionally, an OIC in the police will be able to examine anyone’s mobile phone, messages, and calls at any time. If an officer makes such a request, the courts cannot intervene. The government’s much‑touted ‘digital’ push was clearly aimed at this. The plan is to constantly monitor where we go, who we connect with, and what we say. Under this law, if someone posts on Facebook inviting others to join a protest at Galle Face, they could be arrested as a terrorist. The government’s digital agenda was never about improving people’s facilities. We saw during the recent disaster that even the President’s so‑called digital advisor’s telecom SIM card did not function, leaving hundreds unable to alert authorities and costing lives. Yet instead of fixing such failures, the government is bringing laws to monitor people’s online activity,” he said.
Stating that this is a very serious situation, Pubudu Jagoda urged the people of this country not to allow this law to be passed.
“Previously, the Temporary Provisions Act for the Prevention of Terrorism was introduced with a promise to abolish it in six months, but it still remains. The government will try similar tricks with this law. Their aim is to silence the entire population. But as the Frontline Socialist Party, we are not prepared to allow such repression. We call on the people to intervene immediately to abolish this anti‑democratic law,” he added. (Newswire)