The Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in Sri Lanka has become a law for terrorising people, the president of a leading medical association has alleged.
“PTA is being used by the Sri Lankan state as a tool to arrest those who take to the streets demanding medicines, fertilisers among others,” President of the Association of Health Professionals Ravi Kumudesh told journalists in Colombo.
He further alleged the government headed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe was labelling people who protest in a democratic way as ‘terrorists’.
“As far as the Ranil Wickremesinghe government is concerned, all the citizens of this nation are terrorists. If we take to the streets to protest against the increase in electricity tariffs, we will be identified as terrorists and jailed. Tomorrow if we demand medicines, fertilisers etc., we will be called terrorists and imprisoned. The government of Ranil Wickremesinghe while implementing the PTA has given a new definition to it. So, to say, all those who oppose the corrupt and irresponsible acts of this government will be labelled as terrorists. All except Ranil Wickremesinghe and his cronies are terrorists in this country. Hence this is a law which can be called as creating terrorists rather than preventing terrorism”.
Ravi Kumudesh also warned if the government doesn’t end its act of creating terrorism through the anti-terrorism law, a situation may arise when all the citizens of Sri Lanka will transform into terrorists.
