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Groundviews

Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)

Year
Month
Colombo, Human Rights, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Post-War, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), Reconciliation, Transitional Justice

Adhering to Human Rights – The Time for Words is Over

When a government contravenes the rule of law, crushes human rights, reneges on its responsibility of protecting its own citizens and begins attacking them instead, the international community will step in. It…

Minoli de Soysa Minoli de Soysa on 09/22/202110/11/2021
Colombo, Human Rights, justice, Politics and Governance, Politics and Governance, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)

False Promises: The Myth of Security and the Prevention of Terrorism Act

For decades human rights activists have highlighted the draconian nature of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which promises safety and security, yet in practice makes each citizen vulnerable to being arbitrarily…

Ambika Satkunanathan Ambika Satkunanathan on 07/14/202110/11/2021
Colombo, Human Rights, justice, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)

The ‘Punishment Bureaucracy’ and the Normalization of Torture and Impunity

Justice Kulatunga During the period March 2020 to 24 June 2021 there were reports of six cases of encounter killings, twenty-seven cases of police violence, eight deaths in police custody, four deaths…

Ambika Satkunanathan Ambika Satkunanathan on 06/26/202110/11/2021
Colombo, Easter Sunday Terrorist Attacks, Human Rights, justice, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)

The Prevention of Terrorism Act: Whom Does It Keep Safe?

Does the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) keep us safe? How often is it misused? Does it cause unjust suffering to people? If it does cause suffering, how much suffering are we…

Ermiza Tegal and Amra Ismail Ermiza Tegal and Amra Ismail on 05/25/202110/11/2021
Colombo, Human Rights, justice, Politics and Governance, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)

Living in Hell: The Plight of Prisoners Held Under the PTA

The findings of the National Study of Prisons undertaken by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka have been discussed in numerous articles since its publication in December 2020. The study was…

Ambika Satkunanathan Ambika Satkunanathan on 01/27/202110/11/2021
Colombo, Human Rights, justice, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)

Not All Detainees Are Equal: Class, Ethnicity and the Prevention of Terrorism Act

Photo courtesy of InfoLanka Kanagasabai Thevathasan is a 64-year-old prisoner I met while I was at the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. Twelve years have passed since he was arrested, more…

Ambika Satkunanathan Ambika Satkunanathan on 01/17/202110/11/2021
Colombo, Human Rights, Politics and Governance, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)

Police Torture Routine, Widely Practised and Accepted

Two young men from Ambilitiya, Shanaka and Eishan Wickramage, were arrested on suspicion of theft. At the police station, they were tortured. Family members said the police denied having taken them into…

Minoli de Soysa Minoli de Soysa on 10/22/202010/11/2021
Human Rights, Issues, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)

Deep Impact: Emmerson’s Report Reveals Lasting Legacy of PTA

On July 23, former UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights, Ben Emmerson released a report following on from his visit to Sri Lanka in 2017. Emmerson pulled no punches in…

Raisa Wickrematunge Raisa Wickrematunge on 08/08/201810/11/2021
Human Rights, Issues, Politics and Governance, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), Transitional Justice

Continuing abuse under PTA: Abductions, Arbitrary Arrests, Unlawful Detentions and Torture

By Marisa de Silva, Swasthika Arulingam and Ruki Fernando for WATCHDOG On 30th March, 2016, a suicide jacket, explosives and other ammunition was found in Chavakachcheri, Jaffna. Since then, as at 28th…

WATCHDOG WATCHDOG on 06/28/201610/11/2021
Human Rights, Human Security, Issues, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), Transitional Justice

White Vans and unlawful detention under the PTA

Rasathurai Jeyanthan, from Nunavil, Jaffna was abducted in a white van, and was later found to be in custody of the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) last month. He was taken away from…

WATCHDOG WATCHDOG on 06/01/201610/11/2021
Colombo, Human Rights, Human Security, Jaffna, Politics and Governance, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)

PTA detainees in Sri Lanka: Prospects for justice

Image via 91News The fast by prisoners last month has given rise to fresh debate about justice for them. It is a sad reflection on Sri Lankan people and the new Government…

Ruki Fernando Ruki Fernando on 11/06/201510/11/2021
Features, Human Rights, Long Reads, Politics and Governance, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)

Repealing the PTA: Still not a top priority for Government

Picture courtesy Time.com Last Monday (12) a desperate situation raged across Colombo, Anuradhapura, Jaffna and Kandy as hundreds of prisoners who had been detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) began…

Groundviews Groundviews on 10/22/201510/11/2021
Human Security, Jaffna, Politics and Governance, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)

Court acquits Tamil mother after 15 years of detention under PTA

Image courtesy Last week, Tamil children in the North of Sri Lanka reportedly took to the streets to demand the release of their parents detained for years[1] under anti-terror laws[2]. This was…

Ruki Fernando Ruki Fernando on 10/05/201510/11/2021
Colombo, Human Rights, Human Security, Jaffna, Politics and Governance, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)

PTA detainees – Ignored under “Yahapalanaya?”

AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, via 19 years in remand without conclusion of case, 17 years and case still ongoing in High Court, 15 years to file charges, 400-500 court hearings without conclusion of…

WATCHDOG WATCHDOG on 09/05/201510/11/2021
Jaffna, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), Trincomalee, Vavuniya

Continuing Detention of Tamil Women and a Girl Child under the Prevention of Terrorism Act

Image courtesy Sri Lanka Brief In 2009 the government announced that the LTTE has been wiped out from the country with the end of the armed conflict. However, in the past few…

Womens Action Network Womens Action Network on 04/13/201410/11/2021

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