Developing counter-terrorism measures is challenging: Sagala

 

Developing counter terrorism legislature anywhere in the world is challenging and it is a fine balance to ensure that it meets counter terrorism measures while not giving rise to human rights abuses, said Minister of Law and Order, Sagala Ratnayake today while addressing the opening of the eighth SAARC Ministers of Law and Order (Interior/Home Affairs) meeting held at Galle Face Hotel.

In April, this year Cabinet approved a framework for a new Counter Terrorism Act to replace the existing Prevention of Terrorism Act and despite the challenges, the Minister said the new Act would help deal with the latest challenges of global terrorism.  

“It is unlikely that a pluralistic community like Sri Lanka with a history it has gone through will ever agree with a uniform definition of terrorism”, said Minister Ratnayake but explained that they had sought consultations with a wide variety of members of both the security establishment as well as human rights lawyers to strike a good balance.

“We have also invited United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, Ben Emmerson to visit Sri Lanka from the 10-14 July to gather information first hand on the initiatives taken to deal with counter terrorism while promoting and protecting human rights”, he added.  

As the region enveloped by terrorism and drug trafficking looks to work together to curb its spread, Sri Lanka, the minister said Sri Lanka had been successful in steering the conversation towards dealing with the spread of narcotics and psychotropic substances within SAARC.

“Within Sri Lanka however we have been unsuccessful in curbing the menace and we need to tackle the scourge at home. The government’s goal is to reduce the drug menace to minimum levels by 2020 through a strategy of supply control and demand reduction”, he said.  

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