• Defends proposed CTA as filling a gap in existing law 
• Dismisses Opposition claim that it is too lenient on terrorists
• Says new laws needed for new situations
  
   

By Ashwin Hemmathagama 

– Our Lobby Correspondent

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday redoubled his efforts to get the Counter-Terrorism Bill passed in Parliament, calling for unconditional support from all political parties and saying the legislation was essential to fight global terror networks.

PM Wickremesinghe, responding to questions raised by Opposition lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake, held the Counter-Terrorism Bill is important legislation that needs to be passed in Parliament with common agreement. 

Highlighting the need to bring in the Counter-Terrorism Bill, the PM said: “We lacked the laws to control terrorism that started with the assassination of Jaffna Mayor Alfred Duraiappah in July 1975. We had the Penal Code. So, the Prevention of Terrorism Act No.48 of 1979 was moved. The second clause of this legislation identified terrorism as an offence but was limited to the boundaries of the country,” he said.

According to Wickremesinghe, England lacked laws to prevent terrorism in Northern Ireland in 1971. A temporary Act was passed to prevent terrorism allowing the British Government to take action in Northern Ireland. However, the British Parliament passed many laws from 2000 to 2005 to prevent terrorism. 

The turning point of laws against terrorism the attack on the World Trade Centre buildings in the US on 11 September 2001 followed by the London bombing on 7 July 2005.

“Soon after 9/11, the British Parliament passed the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act. The Terrorism Act of 2006 has identified praising London bombing as an offence. Glorifying terrorism was made an offence. Later, the definition of terrorism also changed a few times,” said the PM explaining the evolution of British laws of counter-terrorism.

With the fight against terrorism moving away from traditional warfare, the Prime Minister held that it was no longer considered a traffic offence if a terrorist drives a vehicle into a group of people killing them.

“So, it is necessary to pass new laws to face these new situations. The Counter-Terrorism Bill was drafted to fill the vacuum to fight global terrorism. A group of professionals took part in preparing this Bill. It was gazetted and was moved in Parliament. The Bill is now stuck at the Oversight Committee. Diverse issues including natural disasters and the Constitutional crisis delayed the Bill progressing. None-experts are making comments on the Counter-Terrorism Bill. But the question is are we able to take legal action against terrorist activities conducted in other countries? Can we obtain evidence against such activities? Anyone who identifies the Counter-Terrorism bill providing support to terrorists as well as those who criticise the Bill provide indirect support for global terrorism,” held the Prime Minister.

Reading out the second clause of the Bill, Wickremesinghe explained the application of the legislation. “The provisions of this Act shall apply to any citizen of Sri Lanka, who commits an offence under this Act, within or outside the territory of the Republic of Sri Lanka, any person who commits an offence under this Act, wholly or partly, in Sri Lanka; in or over territorial waters of Sri Lanka; in the airspace of Sri Lanka; on board or in respect of an aircraft or vessel registered in Sri Lanka or belonging to or used by the Government of Sri Lanka,” he said.

“The third clause gives the definition of terrorism. So, any person, who commits any act referred to in the subsection, with the intention of – intimidating a population; wrongfully or unlawfully compelling the Government of Sri Lanka, or any other government, or an international organisation, to do or to abstain from doing any act; preventing any such government from functioning; or causing harm to the territorial integrity or sovereignty of Sri Lanka or any other sovereign country, shall be guilty of the offence of terrorism. I would like to remind that there are ongoing conflicts with competing power centres in Syria. USA, Russia, Turkey and others have all intervened. We also do not want to get drawn into such a situation. Therefore, defence lawyers can contend that there is no central power or authority in Syria and this provision does not apply to a civil conflict intertwined with terrorism,” he added.

Moving on, the PM wanted the critics to reveal the benefits package offered in the proposed Counter-Terrorism Act (CTA). “The benefits package was given to the successor of LTTE Leader Prabhakaran. KP was brought to Sri Lanka and was given benefits. There are no benefits offered to terrorists in this legislation other than the necessary provisions to identify an act of terrorism committed to about in Sri Lanka an offence,” he held.

MR appeals for a Select Committee on CTA