Country needs “prudent leadership”
Colombo (AsiaNews) – Sri Lanka “urgently needs prudent and wise leadership to guide the country in this difficult time without ceding to provocation”. The local Anglican Church made this appeal to the Sinhalese government a few days after Colombo announced the reactivation of severe anti-terrorism laws that had been suspended for four years.
Christians have joined activists for human rights and freedom of expression in voicing concern about the decision of President Mahinda Rajapakse to introduce the Prevention and Prohibition of Terrorism and Specified Terrorist Activities Regulations (PPTSTAR), which contain emergency measures inspired by the notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). This law was enacted in 1979 and suspended under the ceasefire agreement reached with the Tamil rebels in 2002. But the people still bear its scars: the PTA grants the security forces sweeping powers in their hunt for terrorist “suspects” and throughout the war, it has paved the way for widespread arbitrary arrest, prolonged detention without trial, torture to extract false confessions of guilt and often "disappearances". Thousands of innocent Tamils have been affected.
In a message issued on 8 December, Reverend Duleep de Chikera, Anglican bishop of the Church of Ceylon in Colombo, urged all parties in the conflict but “especially the government”, to resort to prudence in the face of the dangerous provocations that prevail. The most recent case was the failed assassination attempt against the Minister of Defence on 1 December, not to mention ongoing clashes between the army and rebels in the north-east.
The Anglican leader said: “The challenge the government is facing is to take note of such threats and to ensure protection for all while attempting to rise above the culture of counter violence. Resorting to the same weapons that we condemn is to lose control and jeopardize the peace process.”In some instances, continued the Anglican representative, the government has shown wisdom, for example, in not banning the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) that for decades have fought for independence for the Tamil-dominated north-east. But the latest decision about anti-terror laws is dangerous. Duleep de Chimera said: “The Penal Code and the Prevention of Terrorist Financing Act passed in 2005 are adequate to deal with the current threats.” Faced with the intransigence of the Tigers, the new norms could only serve to “alienate the rebels from the desire or hope for peace and it is civilians who will suffer most.” In conclusion, the bishop “as a religious leader”, urged the Sinhalese authorities to take up a non-violent approach to the conflict to “win the collaboration of people” and at the same time “to demonstrate their commitment to a negotiated peace settlement by reviewing the decision to introduce the anti-terror emergency regulations.”
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