Sri Lankas Prevention of Terrorism Act

should be repealed
Participants of the 'Free Jeyakumari' campaign held in Colombo on Monday. Photo: Meera Srinivasan
MEERA SRINIASAN!September 30,
2014
"ivil societ# members and politicians came to$ether at a campai$n in "olombo%
seekin$ the release of &alendran 'e#akumari% (ho (as arrested b# Sri Lankas
Terrorism Investi$ation )ivision *TI)+ in March this #ear, The# demanded that the
Prevention of Terrorism Act *PTA+ - under (hich Ms, 'e#akumari (as detained - be
repealed immediatel#,
It has been nearl# .// da#s since the TI) arrested Ms, 'e#akumari in 0ilinochchi%
alon$ (ith her teena$ed dau$hter, She (as at the forefront in campai$ns a$ainst
involuntar# disappearances% raisin$ concern about her son (ho reportedl# (ent
missin$ in the final phase of the (ar, 1hile the dau$hter is in probationar# custod# in
a childrens home% Ms, 'e#akumari continues to be detained (ith no char$es filed till
date, At least 2/ persons have been arrested under the PTA Act in Sri Lanka this #ear,
Sri Lankan authorities have maintained that she harboured Selvana#a$am 0a3eepan
alias 4obi% (ho alle$edl# tried revivin$ a net(ork of the rebel Ti$ers, 4obi (as also one
of the three suspects that the Sri Lankan armed forces shot dead in April ./56 (hen
the# 7attempted to escape8% accordin$ to the countr#s arm# officials,
In (hat seemed like a counter campai$n on Monda#% a small $roup of persons
identif#in$ themselves as members of the 9Patriotic National Movement $athered at
the venue% outside "olombos :ort Rail(a# station% holdin$ posters that said Ms,
'e#akumari (as a supporter of the LTTE and had to be detained,
The# shouted slo$ans a$ainst her release% as participants of the 7:ree 'e#akumari8
campai$n - (hich had activists and some politicians - raised concern over the
prolon$ed detention of Ms, 'e#akumari (ith no conclusive evidence to char$e her,
The anti!terrorist le$islation in this countr# is draconian% servin$ no purpose, If this
lad# is $uilt#% if there is evidence to char$e her% (h# dont the# do so;8 asked
Paikiasoth# Saravanamuttu% e<ecutive director of the "entre for Polic# Alternatives% a
nonprofit think tank based in "olombo, =e said it (as 7absolutel# scandalous8 that
people (ere held in detention (ithout brin$in$ them to court and lettin$ the (heels of
3ustice turn, 7It $oes a$ainst ever#thin$ that (e understand to be reconciliation%
national unit#,8
Senior la(#er and Tamil National Alliance *TNA+ parliamentarian M,A, Sumanthiran
said the PTA (as a temporar# provisions act introduced in 5>?2, 7It is still in e<istence
five #ears after the end of the (ar% (hich the $overnment claims (as a$ainst terrorism,
1e demand that it be repealed immediatel#%8 he said% addin$ that it (as the e<istence
of such an act that made the detention of Ms, 'e#akumari and several others (ithout
char$es possible,
4a3endrakumar Ponnambalam of the Tamil National Peoples :ront *TNP:+ said
$iven that the issue of alle$edl# enforced disappearances had become a ke# issue in the
on$oin$ international probe into Sri Lankas ri$hts record% the $overnment detained
Ms, 'e#akumari for it feared she (ould testif# at hearin$s in that re$ard,
A presidential commission - set up b# President Mahinda Ra3apaksa - tasked (ith
in@uirin$ into complaints re$ardin$ missin$ persons has so far received nearl# ./%///
petitions from families of missin$ persons,
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[Photos]
by Karapoththa
on September 29, 2014
2014 13
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Posted b# Thavam