Sri Lanka to replace anti-terror laws with counter terror Act

COLOMBO - Sri Lanka on Wednesday said that a draconian anti-terror law will be replaced with a Counter Terrorism Act.

The anti-terror law was used during a war between Tamil Tiger rebels and the military to arrest those suspected to have links with the rebels.

The Ministry of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs said the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) will soon be abolished and will be replaced by the Counter Terrorism Act.

Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs D.M Swaminathan said that the Attorney General is scheduled to submit a review on 78 trials pending under the Prevention of Terrorism Act with regard to minority Tamil suspects by Sept. 15.

Swaminathan said that this review will consider the number of detainees that can be subjected to lesser sentences and the number of detainees that could be sent for rehabilitation.

While pointing out that the PTA will soon be abolished and it will be replaced by the Counter Terrorism Act, Minister Swaminathan said that the trials currently pending under the PTA will be dealt with in the future under the Counter Terrorism Act.

He also said that 112 files with regard to cases under the PTA were sent to the Attorney General's Department for advice and out of the 112, 108 cases were concluded by the end of 2015.

He also noted that in 2016, 16 cases under the PTA have been received by the Attorney General's Department for advice.

Minister Swaminathan pointed out that further steps are being taken by the Attorney General's Department to review and reconsider the cases under the PTA.

The minister added that three such cases were concluded this month by reducing charges to facilitate the expeditious conclusion of trials.