brand logo

No country can live without anti-terror laws: Jayanath Colombage

17 Sep 2021

  • Foreign Secy. discusses PTA repeal/reform
  • Cites ‘peaceful’ NZ tightening laws
  • Expert Committee report on PTA this week
  • EU GSP+ delegation to meet Prez, PM, G.L.
BY Pamodi Waravita Discussing the controversial Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act No. 48 of 1979 as amended (PTA), Foreign Ministry Secretary Admiral and Prof. Jayanath Colombage said yesterday (16) that no country can live without counterterrorism laws. “The earlier suggestion was to repeal the PTA. But no country can live without counterterrorism laws or legislation like the PTA. Look at New Zealand, which, despite being such a peaceful country, is going to tighten its counter terror laws. Many countries have these kinds of laws,” Prof. Colombage said in response to a question by The Morning at a press conference held by the Presidential Media Division (PMD) yesterday. However, he added that the PTA, in its present form, has certain aspects which do not match the current international humanitarian best practices, and as such, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is determined to find the best way forward. A Cabinet Sub-Committee was appointed in June this year to present recommendations regarding the amendment of the controversial PTA to the Cabinet of Ministers within three months. Prof. Colombage said that the expert committee appointed by the Cabinet Sub-Committee will most likely hand over its report today (17). “As the Foreign Ministry, we have highlighted the concerns of the international community on the PTA to the expert committee. The Defence and Justice Ministries are addressing these concerns and how best to come up with necessary amendments whilst maintaining national security. They are looking at how best we can transform the PTA and carry this forward.” The European Union (EU) delegation in Colombo told The Morning this week that the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade concessions Monitoring Mission will visit Sri Lanka from 27 September to 5 October. Prof. Colombage said that the EU delegation is warmly welcome in the country to assess the ground situation. “Please do not make judgements by sitting behind a desk in Europe, please come. The GSP+ is actually centred round the PTA. The delegation will be meeting all personnel involved directly and indirectly, including Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. We have already submitted some of the answers to the questions the EU has asked, and unofficially we have been told that they were satisfied,” he added. The EU Parliament, earlier this year, called on the GoSL to repeal the PTA and the European Commission to consider the temporary withdrawal of the GSP+ from Sri Lanka if it is not done. Reportedly, the 24th Session of the EU-Sri Lanka Joint Commission in the first quarter of 2022 will witness the review of all aspects of bilateral co-operation. The GSP+ gives Sri Lanka preferential access to markets in the EU. It was withdrawn in 2010 after the EU identified three major shortcomings with respect to the UN human rights conventions (the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention against Torture, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child), related to the GSP+ scheme, which is not only a special incentive agreement for sustainable development but also for good governance. It has been identified that the GSP+ especially benefits the fisheries and apparel industries.  


More News..