Sri Lanka detains student leaders under anti-terrorism law

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Sri Lanka Police on Monday confirmed the detention of three student activists under the feared anti-terrorism law, four days after arresting them in a protest held in Capital Colombo.

Supporters of local and international rights have slammed these steps, accusing the government to interpret differences of opinion as terrorism, even when the Sri Lanka controversial terrorism prevention is under a sharp focus again.

On August 18, the police arrested nearly 20 protesters on the parade held in Colombo, organized by the Inter Student Federation, where participants highlighted many problems, including “state oppression” and spiral living costs.

While the majority of those who were arrested were immediately given guarantees, the organizer of the Federation Wasantha Mudalige, student activist Hashan Jeewantha and Galwewa Siridhamma – who led the Federation of the University Monk – were in police custody for more than 72 hours, in the middle of their detention report under PTA. When a lawyer struggles to get information about the existence of students, rights activists, members of the political opposition, and international human rights supervisors quickly condemn the move.

Mr. Mudalige is a prominent voice during ‘Janatha Aragalaya’ [People’s Struggle] which stretches four months and dramatically revoked the former President of Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July. IUSF and other groups of students play an important role in maintaining a peaceful anti-government agitation that demands “Gota Go Home”, and seeking “system changes”, often challenges the water cannon and tear gas released by the police.

That is the protest [Aragalaya] who encouraged the President of Gotabaya to resign; Protest that opens the way for the president of Ranil [Wickremesinghe]. They recognize the protest as constitutional when it is suitable for them, “Joseph Stalin, Secretary General of the Union Teacher Ceylon, told The Hindu. “How do the protesters suddenly become terrorists now? If President Wickremesing he calls the resistance of students as terrorism now, doesn’t that mean he is also in power using terrorist methods? “Contrary to Stalin, who came out with guarantees after his new arrest because it participated in protests that allegedly violated the court orders.

In the midst of a series of arrests in recent weeks, the criticism of the government and advocates of the right to accuse the authority of pursuing the “hunting of the witch” which targets the dissidents.

Highlighted at PTA again
PTA Sri Lanka, who is the term “cruel” rights activist and wants to be revoked, was implemented in 1979 under President J.R. Jayawardene, especially to destroy the armed struggle of Tamil youth against the state discrimination. It became a permanent law in 1982. “Understanded most of the South African Apartheid Era Law and the British Law which was used to fight Irish militancy, PTA was also used to fight the Sinhala rebel youth during the second JVP rebellion in late 1980- An, and more recently against Muslim Muslims, after the 2019 Easter Sunday Terror attack.

According to the defenders of human rights, more than 100 Tamil were detained under PTA on charges of belonging or assisting LTTE. More than 200 Muslims were arrested after the 2019 series bombing. Around 30 PTA prisoners were guaranteed in recent months.

In a letter to the Inspector General of the Police on Monday, the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission said “very concerned about the awakening of PTA by the police to suspects who are not included in the definition of law.” “” It has been brought to HRCSL notification that the new PTA iteration has been roughly manipulated to mobilize tyranny through an undemocratic method and justify the arrest of the wrong protesters, “said the Commission.

Director of South Asia Amnesty International Yamini Mishra said: “Using the cruel anti-terror law to take a strong action against the protesters is the lowest new for the Sri Lanka government. This legal weapon that has been very criticized, which must be revoked immediately, is proof of how the authorities do not want to withstand all forms of CR