Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="rapa" data-source="post: 144484" data-attributes="member: 212">Churches in Sri Lanka have denounced the revival of a draconian anti-terrorism law, Prevention of Terrorisms Act, PTA, by the government aimed at hobbling support for LTTE Tamil terrorists who has terrorized the Island . - reports Ecumenical News International."The government's decision to introduce new regulations on the lines of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) is worrying," Anglican Bishop Duleep de Chickera of Colombo said in an 8 December 2006 statement after the overnight government declaration.Shortly after promulgating the law, President Mahinda Rajapakse justified the decision in a televised address to the nation, saying that fighting terrorism had become difficult because of democracy, which can be abused as a "deadly joke."Chickera in his statement, however, disagreed with the president. "Many still have painful memories of the harsh impact of the PTA on the life of the nation not too long ago. It was political wisdom coupled with political will that finally led to it being suspended," noted Chickera.Santha Fernando, a spokesperson for the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka, a grouping of eight major Protestant churches, described the government decision as "regressive.""This will only worsen the situation. It is a clear violation of the cease-fire agreement," Fernando told Ecumenical News International from his office in Colombo.More than 3,500 people, including civilians, security forces and LTTE terrorists, have been killed in renewed fighting this year.While the mostly-Buddhist Sinhalese account for nearly 75 percent of Sri Lanka's 19 million people, ethnic Tamils account for 16percent. There are Christian and Muslim minorities in both of those groups</blockquote>

Verification: Hath warak paha keeyada? (hatha wadikireema paha)

Top Bottom