Tuesday Dec 09, 2025
Tuesday Dec 09, 2025
Tuesday, 9 December 2025 00:27 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake used his Newsweek interview to outline a reform agenda aimed at dismantling Sri Lanka’s most controversial security laws and rebuilding trust in the country’s human rights record.
He said laws such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the Online Safety Act have no place in a democratic system.
“These laws have been used as tools of repression. They are out of place in a democracy. We are committed to comprehensive reform. On the PTA, we are committed to repealing and replacing it with legislation that balances security concerns with civil liberties,” the President said. “This means ending indefinite detention, establishing judicial oversight, and ensuring that anti-terrorism legislation meets international human rights standards.”
He said revisions to the Online Safety Act will protect free expression while addressing genuine harms, noting that governments create new risks when they rush through restrictive laws.
“The focus is to prevent real harm and not silence criticism. We want to work with civil society, international human rights experts, and affected communities to draft replacement legislation. Trust in Government requires these reforms. We will act. And act soon.”
Responding to concerns from rights-conscious partners, Dissanayake said credibility will come from concrete steps rather than declarations.
“Trust is earned through action. We are releasing political prisoners systematically, reviewing cases where people were detained without proper process, allowing space for peaceful protests, and strengthening independent institutions. The political culture of control does not change overnight. Our partners should see whether our reforms are substantive and whether we are advancing, not backsliding.”
Asked whether the country can put its troubled past behind it, he said the aim is not to erase history but to prevent repetition.
“You cannot overcome the loss of thousands of lives in conflict or the trauma of disappearances and torture. What we can do is ensure these horrors never recur. We cannot forget the past, but we can build institutions that protect everyone equally and break the cycles that produced those painful experiences.”
Dissanayake said constitutional reform, equal citizenship, accountability, and protection of vulnerable communities are essential to a durable rights-based order. He said the long-term test will be whether future generations inherit stronger institutions rather than unresolved grievances.
