Will not allow government to replace PTA with CTA: Dilan
Other communities, mainly the Sinhalese and Tamils must take the lead to give protection and confidence to God fearing and peaceful Muslims
UPFA MP Dilan Perera said his party would never allow Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to pass the Counter Terrorism Bill thereby replacing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) since it contained provisions that threatened the democratic rights of the public.
Mr. Perera added that the Bill had been drafted not to strengthen anti-terrorism laws but to further encourage terrorism while suppressing the media.
He told reporters that if the Bill was enacted all trade union action and criticism, commentary and exposures of government misdeeds via the media would be deemed illegal while punishments given to those convicted of terrorism would be mitigated.
“Its sole purpose is to suppress political opponents and the media. When it is enacted, there will no freedom for any political, trade union or media activity that the government believes as being antiestablishment,” Mr. Perera warned.
Commenting on certain comments that had been made by JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka to the media on Muslim extremism, Mr. Perera said Muslim fundamentalism germinated from the very womb of Muslim society and therefore the entire womb has to be removed to save the peaceful and law abiding Muslim community from terrorism and not only the embryo as pointed out by Mr. Dissanayaka.
“Other communities, mainly the Sinhalese and Tamils must take the lead to give protection and confidence to God fearing and peaceful Muslims. All Sri Lankans must assist and cooperate with law enforcement authorities to put an end to Muslim fundamentalism once and for all. Otherwise, it is the Muslim society that will be affected the most,” Mr. Perera said.
Mr. Perera said not only the National Thawheed Jamath (NTJ) and Jamathei Millathu Ibrahim (JMI) but all other Muslim entities that are affiliated to them have to be banned together with Madrasas and Muslim religious schools.the so called Sharia University in the Eastern Province must be brought under the University Grants Commission (UGC) as well, he said .
Former Deputy Speaker Thilanga Sumathipala said the SLFP and SLPP had decided that each and every citizen should be given security to his or her satisfaction. In doing so, all Sri Lankans must be determined not to hurt the feelings of peace-loving Muslims, Mr. Sumathipala pointed out and added that the country has not returned to normalcy and that is why students do not attend school and public servants don’t come to office. “The joint opposition has offered its support to the President and the government unconditionally to ensure that the country comes out of this mess and Muslim fundamentalism is obliterated from the soil of Sri Lanka once and for all.