Thursday November 5, 2026 6:07 pm
Thursday November 5, 2026 6:07 pm
ECONOMYNEXT – A contentious debate in parliament today has exposed mounting alarm over Sri Lanka’s expanding legislative net, with critics accusing the ruling administration of exploiting international treaty obligations to enact repressive security measures. At the center of the controversy are the proposed Prevention of Organised Crimes (POC) Bill, the Protection of the State from Terrorism (PST) Bill, and sweeping amendments to the century-old Trusts Ordinance.
While ministers defend the legal package as vital to dismantle criminal cartels, comply with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and retain EU GSP Plus concessions, opposition lawmakers warn the bills systematically dismantle civil liberties, target the press, and establish overreaching surveillance.
International Standards Cast Aside
The government claims the POC Bill aligns with the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. However, opposition MP Ajith Perera revealed that a formal 31-page UN communication issued on October 30, 2026, explicitly stated the bill violates fundamental human rights and international standards. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) similarly called for its immediate withdrawal.
Perera warned that the bill creates an intrusive police apparatus, overrides foundational Evidence Ordinance safeguards on police confessions, and grants Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs) sweeping powers to tap citizen phone lines without a court warrant.
“Overriding Sections 24, 25, and 30 of the Evidence Ordinance, which have been in force for over a century—what kind of law is that? What kind of justice is that?,” Perera said.
Beyond warrantless wiretapping, Perera emphasized that the bill directly attacks journalistic integrity by compelling reporters to disclose confidential sources and authorizing prolonged administrative detention orders.
Regulation or Suppression?
Opposition MP Rauff Hakeem argued that rather than introducing genuine governance safeguards, the state is creating instruments of political control. Multiple UN Special Mandate holders and working groups have condemned the PST Bill, which reneges on key promises to unconditionally scrap the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
“Now every civil activity, the government seeks to control through these oppressive and repressive legislations that are being brought,” he said.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa accused the administration of betraying its governing mandate, arguing that the social contract was broken by prioritizing repressive state apparatuses over poverty relief and economic stability.
“The mandate was obtained to implement development, not to implement oppression. Not to introduce laws, regulations, and statutes to enforce oppression,” Premadasa said.
Premadasa challenged official poverty indicators, alleging that the Department of Census and Statistics deliberately suppressed poverty line calculations by undercounting daily caloric requirements.
Government Dismisses Public Alarm
In response, the government framed the opposition’s dissent as panic fueled by criminal networks. Deputy Minister of Public Security Sunil Watagala defended the urgency of the laws, arguing that a shadow underworld network spanning narcotics, extortion, and arms trafficking requires decisive state intervention.
Watagala maintained that the executive would defer to the ongoing judicial review process rather than bend to public protests.
“We listened to the people. A public mandate was given. Based on that mandate, a law was drafted. That law was challenged. That law went before the Supreme Court,” Watagala said.
Reinforcing the administration’s stance, Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe claimed previous regimes had coexisted with criminal enterprises and argued that rigorous legislation is necessary to rehabilitate the country’s global financial standing.
“The faction manufacturing distrust and stoking panic over this is the political establishment that cohabited with the underworld,” Abeysinghe
Despite executive assurances, the administration faces increasing scrutiny for utilizing anti-crime rhetoric to push bills that UN mandate holders and rights watchdogs warn will restrict civil society and criminalize ordinary civic conduct. (Colombo/Nov05/2026)