Circular restricting NGO activities an advisory note, not a directive: Govt. BASL condemnsGovt. communiqué unequivocally

The Government says the circular issued by the Director/Registrar of the National Secretariat for Non- Government Organisations (NGOs) which functions under the Defence and Urban Development Ministry, restricting NGOs from conducting press conferences, workshops, training for journalists etc., is not a directive, but only an advisory note to adhere to the mandate under which they were registered with the Secretariat.

“In the recent past, intelligence reports reveal that certain NGOs operate in a manner that poses a threat to national security, and hence the need to remind them to adhere to their mandated activities,” Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratna told Parliament on Friday.

He said that excepting for a few, all NGOs work according to these rules.

“There were reports during the 30-year war that certain organisations were even providing weapons for the terrorists. Such situations have taken place in other countries which have led to public unrest. Hence, we need to be careful,” he said.

The Prime Minister‘s response followed Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s question in Parliament, why the Government is acting in violation of the Consti-

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) says it is appalled by the communiqué issued by the National Secretariat for NGOs, under the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development, to all NGOs, preventing them from "conducting press conferences, workshops, journalism training and dissemination of press release".

The BASL said in a press release that the repercussions of the said circular may have a far reaching impact on a free and democratic society.

"Postwar Sri Lankan society is increasingly precipitating into a crypto military and authoritarian State and the National Secretariat for NGOs, effort is living testimony to this impending crypto military and authoritarian tendency of the country," the BASL said.

The BASL said that this was another effort to silence the alternative public opinion of society, through inculcating a fear psychosis among a section of society, enhancing the autocratic writ to a fearful height.

It said that according to the Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI), a good governance template with regard to voice and accountability, Sri Lanka's position in 2012 was at negative 0.60, a fast deterio- tution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, by attempting to restrict NGO activities. “In 1980, the Government passed the Voluntary Social Service Organizations (Registration and Supervision) Act to regulate and supervise enterprises commonly called NGOs. No authority outside these parameters, has the right, ration from 2002 where Sri Lanka was at negative 0.15. Similarly in percentile ranking, Sri Lanka has fallen from 42 in 2002 to 30 in 2012. "This indicates our level of, lost right to dissent, freedom of expression, freedom of association and media freedom."

"According to Reporters sans Frontiers, in the world ranking, Sri Lanka stands 165th out of 175 countries in terms of press freedom, behind Uzbekistan, Rwanda and Libya. As far as Asia goes Sri Lanka is the 35th out of the 40 Asian countries listed. This is on the basis of known data and reported facts," the press release said.

"The impugned circular that has been issued under the auspices of the Ministry of Defence stifling the freedom of expression further with chilling effect is of no avail to our country to reach the standing of "the Miracle of Asia."

"We condemn this so called circular issued by an officer within the Ministry of Defence in gross violation of the fundamental rights of the polity, and urge the authorities to revoke this autocratic circular that has the effect of bringing further damage to the country nationally and internationally." power or authority to exercise any form of regulation or supervision of NGOs,” he said.

The UNP leader added that the actions of the National Secretariat for NGOs is a blatant violation of the Constitution, more particularly Article 14 thereof, which guarantees to all citizens- freedom of speech, expression, publication, assembly and association.