The Church of Ceylon has issued a statement criticizing the government’s plan to introduce the Protection of State from Terrorism Bill (PSTB), which aims to replace the long-standing Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). 

The church condemned the PTA’s 47-year history of misuse to detain dissenters, journalists, and minorities. 

It warned that the PSTB could repeat these patterns, with vague definitions of terrorism that may suppress free expression. 

The church urged the government to repeal the PTA and withdraw the PSTB, calling for security measures aligned with constitutional and democratic principles.