Sri Lanka’s new counterterrorism bill risks perpetuating past abuses – Amnesty International

Colombo Telegraph reports that Sri Lanka’s government has tabled the Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill, intended to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Colombo Telegraph says the bill was tabled on 6 October and is now before the Supreme Court for a review of its compatibility with the Constitution. Parliament is expected to debate it in the coming weeks, depending on the court’s determination.

Colombo Telegraph and EconomyNext report that Amnesty International sees continuing risks in the proposal, including a broad and ambiguous definition of terrorism that could be interpreted to criminalize dissent, protests and civil society activity. Colombo Telegraph reports Amnesty’s South Asia director, Smriti Singh, called for close scrutiny and said safeguards remained inadequate. EconomyNext says Amnesty’s analysis, alongside concerns from civil society and legal experts, argues the bill could preserve extensive executive powers rather than break with past abuses.

Amnesty says this could mean as much as two years in detention before trial and raises concerns about arbitrary detention, the presumption of innocence and timely trial rights. EconomyNext reports that under the PTA, people could be held for up to 18 months under detention orders issued by the Defence Minister without formal charges or meaningful judicial review; it also says confessions to senior police officers could be used in court.

EconomyNext reports that the PTA was enacted in 1979 as a temporary measure, made permanent in 1982 and used for decades. It says analysts have associated the law’s use with arbitrary detention and rights violations affecting minorities, dissidents, journalists, trade unionists and peaceful protesters. Lanka Business Online reports that the new bill was gazetted and tabled that week, and that critics believe it retains much of the PTA’s framework despite improving on earlier drafts.

Lanka Business Online says the bill could also affect Sri Lanka’s trade relationship with the European Union because GSP+ duty-free access depends on compliance with international conventions. It reports that the scheme covers 27 conventions, rising to 32 in 2027–28, and that the UN and EU have called for any replacement law to have narrow definitions, protect association, assembly and expression, and allow courts to scrutinize executive action. The outlet says apparel exports are especially exposed: apparel is worth about US$5 billion annually and accounts for more than 40% of merchandise exports; the EU takes just over 30% of the total. Sri Lanka’s apparel exports to the EU fell 8% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, while imports from China and Vietnam rose.

Written automatically by AI from the outlets’ own reports, and not reviewed by an editor. It can be wrong — the original report is the authority.