By Lionel Bopage –
Dr. Lionel Bopage
Sri Lanka’s Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill promises to end the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Read closely, it keeps the PTA’s most dangerous powers.
In 2024, the National People’s Power made Sri Lankans a clear promise. Its manifesto pledged the “abolition of all oppressive acts including the PTA”. Voters believed it and gave the NPP a historic mandate.
Two years on, that promise has reached Parliament. The Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill was gazetted on 22 September 2026 and presented on 6 October. On paper, it delivers: one clause repeals the PTA. The Minister of Justice says the new law will target terrorism alone. The President, who has admitted the old definition of terrorism was so broad it invited abuse, has promised precise definitions and strong safeguards. Sri Lanka has also undertaken to the UN and the European Union, including as a condition of GSP+ trade concessions, to replace the PTA with a law that meets international standards.
These are welcome words. But Parliament does not vote on press conferences. It votes on the text of a Bill, and the text tells a different story. It keeps the PTA’s core: detention ordered by the executive, arrest without a warrant, and offences broad enough to catch ordinary politics. This is not the end of an old cage. It is the same cage with a new name.
What the Bill actually says
Amnesty International, UN human rights experts and the Centre for Policy Alternatives have each examined the Bill. Their concerns converge on four points.
A definition that reaches into politics. Terrorism includes acts meant to “unduly compel” a government. That phrase could capture strikes, mass protests, or ordinary political pressure.
Arrest without a warrant. Security forces may arrest on “reasonable suspicion” alone.
Detention by the executive. The Defence Secretary may order a person held for up to a year, and a magistrate cannot overturn that order. A person may be held without charge for up to two years.
Bans with little oversight. The President may proscribe organisations, and officials may declare “prohibited places”, with little scrutiny by the courts.
The Bill does exclude protest, advocacy, dissent, labour action, and humanitarian work. It lets magistrates visit places of detention. These are real improvements, but they miss the central defect. The executive still decides who is locked up and for how long, and no court can effectively say no. A visit is not control.
Sri Lanka has already seen where such powers lead.
A temporary law that never left
In July 1979, facing rising violence in the North, the Jayewardene government brought in the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act. It was meant to last three years. Certified “urgent”, it gave the Supreme Court only hours for review and passed Parliament in a single day.
Its powers were extraordinary. A Minister could order detention for 18 months. Confessions made to police became evidence. Failing to report a “terrorist” became a crime, yet the Act never defined who a terrorist was. In 1982 it was made permanent, again as an urgent Bill. It has now been in force for 47 years.
Its reach grew fast. Its first detainees were reportedly not northern militants but two Sinhalese opposition activists. In July 1983, Tamil PTA prisoners were killed inside Welikada Prison, in State custody. Days later, the government blamed the JVP, the Communist Party and the Nava Sama Samaja Party for the pogrom, an accusation since shown to be false. It banned them and detained their leaders. The pattern was set early: sweeping powers, little judicial scrutiny, and a stated purpose soon left behind.
Forty-seven years of victims
No government has ever published how many people the PTA has detained, or how many were freed without charge. That silence is part of the problem.
The figures that do exist are grim. By 1990, some 6,700 suspected JVP members were held under emergency and anti-terrorism powers. In 2018, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka found that over half of PTA suspects with unresolved cases had been held for 5 to 15 years. More than 600 people were arrested under the PTA between 2019 and 2022. Data released in 2024 showed high acquittal rates.
Behind the numbers are lives. Vasanthi Raghupathy Sharma, a mother of three, spent more than 15 years in detention before her acquittal in 2015. Chandrabose Selvachandran was held for about 14 years, acquitted in 2019, and died 18 months later. Nadesu Kuganathan, a rehabilitated former combatant, was re-arrested and held about eight years without ever being charged.
The law has also been turned on those who speak. Journalist J. S. Tissainayagam was sentenced to 20 years for his writing. Poet Ahnaf Jazeem spent 19 months in custody over a book of Tamil poetry. Lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah was held for nearly two years; the Court of Appeal found the Act’s draconian elements had been misused against him. Student leader Wasantha Mudalige was detained in 2022 over peaceful protests. In March 2026, the Supreme Court ruled his arrest had no legal basis.
Because confessions to police are admissible, the PTA invites torture and makes it easy to turn a grudge into a charge. No government has apologised to those later found innocent, compensated them, or held any official to account.
Old habits under a new government
The present Government promised a break from this past. Its record is mixed. The Human Rights Commission recorded 46 PTA detentions in 2025 and 12 more in the first quarter of 2026.
In March 2025, Mohamed Rusdi, a 22-year-old shop worker, was detained on an order signed by the President as Minister of Defence. His offence was pasting stickers in a Colombo mall criticising a foreign state. Police later admitted this was not a PTA offence, yet he was placed under a restriction order on release. The Commission found his arrest unlawful and arbitrary. In June 2026, Tamil hip-hop artist Sangeethan Ganeshkumar, 24, was detained over a music video.
Ministers say the PTA is now used mainly against organised crime and drug gangs. But in March 2026 the Supreme Court held that it cannot lawfully be used for ordinary crimes. We do not claim this Government means to repeat the worst abuses of the past. But detention on thin grounds by executive order, with release only after public outcry, is a familiar pattern. A law does not become safe because those who hold it today promise to use it well.
Laws outlive the people who pass them
No party knows the PTA better than the JVP, the heart of today’s Government. In 1983 it was banned on a false charge. In the years that followed, thousands of its members were detained, and many were killed or disappeared. For decades, its MPs were among the PTA’s fiercest critics. Today’s President was one of them.
The UNP government of 1979 never imagined the JVP would one day hold these powers. Governments change; powers remain. So every Member of Parliament should ask one question: would I trust these powers in the hands of my political opponents? If not, they should not exist.
The 2018 Counter-Terrorism Bill and the 2023 Anti-Terrorism Bills were condemned as repackaged PTAs; none became law. This Government’s own December 2025 draft was withdrawn. The new version keeps most of the same powers. If it passes, the NPP will face the charge it once laid against others, and it will be hard to deny.
What Parliament should do
We do not ask Parliament to leave Sri Lanka defenceless. We ask it to protect the country without repeating the injustices of the past 47 years. That means seven things:
Impose an immediate moratorium on the use of the PTA.
Consult openly with PTA victims, affected communities, the Bar, civil society, and the Human Rights Commission, then table an amended Bill.
Define terrorism narrowly, in line with the UN model definition.
Place every detention under judicial control, with detainees brought promptly before a magistrate.
Make confessions to police inadmissible and prosecute ordinary crimes under ordinary criminal law.
Repeal the PTA as soon as the amended Bill is passed.
Remedy past harm: review remaining PTA cases, release those held without charge or trial, and offer an apology and reparation.
We appeal to every Member, in government and in opposition: do not vote for this Bill as it stands.
This Government has a rare chance. Its mandate is not merely to rename the PTA, but to end the system of unchecked power that made it abusive. It can keep Sri Lankans safe and keep them free. A government that listens will earn the people’s respect.
Native Vedda / October 16, 2026
nimal fernando
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Where are you when the people need you? Are you hiding behind Donald Trump?
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Two developments that I would not have expected to happen just a few months ago have taken place in the last few hours.
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Firstly, Ada Derana reported that “Prison Officials Call on Mahanayake Theros of Malwathu and Asgiriya Chapters.”
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Secondly, Ada Derana reported that “PM Presents Revised National Curriculum Framework to Mahanayake Theros.”
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I wonder who gave these men the power, position, and authority to question institutions run by elected representatives. Civilian leaders appear so weak that they feel compelled to carry their files and b***s to justify their rule-based decisions to these men in saffron, as though the latter were experts in every field of human activity.
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People are losing faith in the NPP. It is not enough to throw the crooks into prison; it is equally important to cut the saffron robes down to size.
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Business as usual, nothing to worry, NPP, AKD, Functionaries and the men in Saffron are in TOTAL HARMONY.
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We are jolly well living in the Dark Ages.
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old codger / October 17, 2026
Native,
“People are losing faith in the NPP. It is not enough to throw the crooks into prison; it is equally important to cut the saffron robes down to size.”
The saffron robes should have been cut down to size two years ago, right after the elections, when nobody would have organised protests. Instead, they went after drug dealers. Now the drugs are still there, and also the Mahanayakas. It will be all downhill from here.
Being nice to these Mahanayakas doesn’t work.
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Native Vedda / October 18, 2026
old codger
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“Being nice to these Mahanayakas doesn’t work.”
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You are right, however don’t those who seriously want to follow Buddha’s teaching know these Sanga and their plebs are a burden on Sri Lanka’s meagre resources?
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By the way the Sanghas are supposed to be the richest and largest landlords of this island. They are not bothered by any law. Tax Man does not bother the Sangha ever.
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nimal fernando / October 17, 2026
1/2
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Native,
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Sinhala-Buddhism is the tool/stunt AKD’s opponents have repeatedly tried to use to topple him …….. even before he/NPP got elected.
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It’s a wonder to behold ……. AKD’s intelligence ……. how he has used …….. a mix of carrot and stick …….. to sidestep the curve-balls thrown at him …… and still strengthened his position.
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Almost all other politicians, who are nowhere near AKD in intelligence, would’ve faltered.
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Watch and learn. :)))
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In spite of two-faced crap you guys write …….. I know you guys are disappointed his government has not faltered ……… but gone from strength to strength ……… which is a surprise/shock to me as well!
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From what has gone/passed before ……. I’m too, conditioned ……… not to expect intelligence from Lankan pols.
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Ol’ Ranil too tried to pull the Sinhala-Buddhist card to topple AKD …… by calling for a Sanga Samuluwa. …….. I’ll have a more serious engagement about all these with you and OC …….. once you have comprehensively condemned Ranil for pulling the Sinhala-Buddhist card. …….. As they say ….. any reform should first begin at home! :)))))
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old codger / October 18, 2026
Nimal
“I’ll have a more serious engagement about all these with you and OC …….. once you have comprehensively condemned Ranil for pulling the Sinhala-Buddhist card. “
(Sigh) I did that yesterday . Check my exchange with LM.
Now, when are you going to condemn AKD for appointing a committee to give monks privileges?
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nimal fernando / October 18, 2026
“Now, when are you going to condemn AKD for appointing a committee to give monks privileges?”
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OC,
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Could you please explain …….. how appointing a committee …….. constitutes playing the Sinhala-Buddhist card proactively?
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Perhaps you see something, I don’t.
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old codger / October 18, 2026
Nimal,
Why should criminal monks have any privileges?
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nimal fernando / October 19, 2026
1/2
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OC,
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Let us take this point by point.
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How many weapons have the opposition used to try to topple AKD?
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Ditwah, Harani’s education reforms, containers. Gal Aguru, 22nd proposition, some now I’ve even forgotten, ………. of all these, Sinhala-Buddhist card is the trump card: the primary weapon: the most dangerous.
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How many times has it been played?
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See how he has walked on eggshells laid out on a tightrope ……. without breaking them. That’s consummate political maneuvering ……… in a Democracy ………… that for the first time, functions as a proper Democracy since Independence.
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nimal fernando / October 19, 2026
2/2
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He had to diffuse the volatile curve-ball/situation thrown at him by his combined-enemies who are trying their level best to stay out of gaol.
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75 – 80% Lankans are Buddhists ….. he has to keep them on-side. He called the monks and explained to them ……. that he can’t enact laws on the basis of one monk ……. but he can examine the archaic prison rules/regulations coming down from colonial times by appointing a committee. The committee is tasked to examine not just the attire of Buddhist but monks/priests of other religions as well …… and the attire of lay prisoners when they are brought out or released.
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How does that constitute playing the Sinhala-Buddhist card proactively?
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Instead of condemning, I’m compelled to praise him for his consummate skill.
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nimal fernando / October 17, 2026
2/2
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I know …… you’ll give me yonks to enjoy …….. being the happiest man alive.
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Ranil is like an integral …… you have to give limits of his capabilities …… the range where the results are valid. …….. Where is the STEM man when he is most needed? :))))
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Native Vedda / October 18, 2026
nimal fernando
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I admire our cartoonists for keeping their heads straight and retaining their sense of humour. Click the link for a timely and relevant message.
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https://www.dailymirror.lk/cartoon_of_the_day/Cartoon-of-the-Day-16-10-2026/167-352630
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old codger / October 18, 2026
Native,
I hope Ittekanda Saddhatissa won’t demand that Avantha Artigala should be locked up, or to sack the Muslim editor of the DM.
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nimal fernando / October 19, 2026
Native,
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There are only Buddhists and not-Buddhists.
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There is nothing in-between.
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If we are to stop the spread of faux-Buddhism ……. we have stop humbugs pretending to be Buddhists.
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Including Ranil!
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Externalization of Buddhism has nothing to do with being a Buddhist.
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It’s always to gain a worldly/political advantage/privilege.
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LankaScot / October 19, 2026
Hello Nimal,
When you take away the “Faux Buddhists” how many Buddhists are left?
Best reagrds
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nimal fernando / October 18, 2026
Native,
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Cut the wordy crap ……. keep it simple ……. are you intelligent enough to understand ……. that if Ranil was a Buddhist …… he wouldn’t have taken his wife to Wolverhampton paid for with public funds?
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Will millions of these make Ranil a Buddhist? …….. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpYesIyWdK0
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Yes or No? Please please please keep the answer simple. So we can get somewhere in these things/matters. Thanks in advance.
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Externalized Buddhism for what? To be a Buddhist? Or to gain a worldly/political advantage/privilege?
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The point is simple, isn’t it?
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SebastianSR / October 17, 2026
The JVP component of the government is showing its real )fascist) face. A Junta increasingly lining up to become a goverment that rules by a Cabal, in cahoots with India and USA. No transparency as to what it plans to do, and what MOUs have been secretly signed with the world’s crooked nations. But it is arming itself with extraordinary powers snd it aleady has a 2/3 majority. Will it hold elections, Provinvial or even national? Or will it follow in the foot steps of the Sirima-LSSP government, JR government, and change the constitution taking two or three years over it, and then hold a referencdam and give itself another 5 years? Bopage. if he had been inside, would have supported all that, being a “comtade in arms” to all the violence. As he is outside, and as the comrades have given him nothing in the inside track, he has become a critic.
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SJ / October 17, 2026
“…its real )fascist) face. A Junta increasingly lining up to become a goverment that rules by a Cabal, in cahoots with India and USA.”
What has been fascist so far?
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Naman / October 17, 2026
The UNCHECKED POWERS of the Buddhist clergies is THE main & most immediate concerns of the SL citizens.
We all respect the ROBES that the well behaved practising Monk. The robes should not belong to a person who isn’t following the Lord Buddha’s teachings and who is creating racial/religious tensions in our motherland.
This protest march by less than 100 people should have had clearances by judiciary.
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Naman / October 17, 2026
SSR
I too wonder why LB hasn’t returned to his motherland. He should be in the country promoting the government’s programs etc. We in CT have too many author’s writing from?exile.
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Naman / October 17, 2026
We do not any elections for the next two years or so but we certainly want the Government to work on the NEW CONSTITUTION and submit to the public for referendum & to the Parliament to be passed with 2/3 rd majority. All elections should happen after the new constitution
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Naman / October 17, 2026
When is the Government going to find out about the people who murdered their comrades who belonged to the JVP a terrorist organisation like the LTTE between 1970 and 1995 or so
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Jayantha Jay / October 17, 2026
“ In 1983 it was banned on a false charge. In the years that followed, thousands of its members were detained, and many were killed or disappeared”.
In my opinion, this statement presents an incomplete account of the JVP’s history. Wijeweera and the JVP led an armed insurrection against an elected government in 1971. Following their release in 1977, they participated in electoral politics, but the movement subsequently returned to violence during the 1987–1989 insurrection.
The circumstances surrounding the 1983 ban should be examined separately. However, portraying the JVP solely as a victim of state repression overlooks its own responsibility for killings, intimidation and attacks on democratic institutions. The government had a responsibility to protect the public and bring those responsible for violence before the courts. That responsibility did not justify indiscriminate arrests, torture, killings or disappearances. A fair account must acknowledge both the suffering of JVP members and the suffering inflicted by the movement.
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SebastianSR / October 17, 2026
The JVP was an organization that aimed to bring down the elected government by violence — i.e., its members would have been judged to have committed treason by any court. The Sirima-LSSP government acted very compassionately and allowed them to hibernate for another decade or so when a new, young crop of youth were available by 1989 for their moves. This was handled by extrajudicial killngs by the government which went rogue insteasd of arresting them and charging them with high treason.
Just recently, at the end stage of the Aragalaya, AKD associated people captured key govt. institutions and was about to attack Parliament (Rosa Luxemburg’s 1918 plan in Berlin) and carry out a Putsch. These people, and their leader (AKD?) should have been arrested and tried for high treason.
The lw is never applied correctly in Sri Lanka.
As for the monks, AKD should have declared an emergnecy and arrested the monks for inciting civil strife. By showing weekness, and making exceptions for Galagoda Gnasara the NPP shoed that instead of usuing the law, and transparent procedures, they opted for rule by Cabal, with the Mahanayake’s partly absorbed into the Cabal. This is end of Mahanayake power.
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SJ / October 17, 2026
Read some history.
The JVP leaders were put behind bard after trial by the CJC.
The UNP under JRJ released them under a general amnesty.
The JVP was not involved in any capture of government institution.
In fact it retreated fast when the RW government went on the attack. It was the FLSP and its militant student body that faced the brunt of the attack.
This is a few degrees worse than your usual BS.
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SJ / October 17, 2026
corrections
The JVP leaders were put behind bars after trial by the CJC.
…
The JVP was not involved in any capture of government institution during the Aragalaya.
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SJ / October 18, 2026
“Following their release in 1977, they participated in electoral politics, but the movement subsequently returned to violence during the 1987–1989 insurrection.”
Not so simple.
It was JRJ who released them based on a deal facilitated by Ronnie de Mel.
The JVP served the purpose of attacking the rivals of the UNP to prevent their reemergence.
Soon the UNP fell out withe JVP. The JVP was unjustly persecuted by the UNP government ever since. The arrest of JVP members in connection with the July 1983 violence which was solely orchestrated by the UNP was just one act.
The JVP had performed better than the left parties put together in the presidential election of 1982. After 1983, it lost faith in capturing power electorally.
The JVP was at fault in may ways, but the witch hunt of the JVP and supporters was responsible for much of the tit-for-tat violence.
The JRJ government was the least democratic government in the country until the Mahinda Rajapaksa government seized that credit for itself.
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Naman / October 17, 2026
I do hope that the Buddhist monks behind the bars are made to practice the teachings of Lord Buddha. Hopefully they are being rehabilitated retrained etc in order that they behave well in the community they serve. The wearing of the ROBES should not automatically grant them all the privileges and welfare if they are NOT following the law of the land
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SebastianSR / October 17, 2026
Buddhist monks behind the bars are made to practice the teachings of Lord Buddha. No, that is not the business of the Jail system. The Jail concept itself is wrong and unscietific. Individuals like Galagoda Monk or Thileepan or Father Patrik Rayn of the IRA and similar miltants have high levels of testesterone and their endocryne systems are abnormal. This angst combines with the mental prejudices that they have inherited makes them act in the manner they do, in ways harmful to society and being easily manipulated by ideological womds. Once in jail, they should be TREATED medically. For instance, Galagoda Atthe and a significant percentage of the incarcerated population meets the criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which is a dysregulation of dopamine and norepinephrine in the prefrontal cortex. This dysregulation severely impairs impulse control, driving reactive and impulsive-reactive criminal behaviors. Large-scale pharmacoepidemiologic studies have shown a substantial reduction in violent and public-order criminal charges when individuals with ADHD are consistently compliant with their medication. In cases involving severe, repetitive behavior, the requird process is legally and medically referred to as temporary chemical castration..
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LankaScot / October 18, 2026
Hello SebastianSR,
I could just imagine you on the Beach at Lindisfarne in 793 AD remonstrating with a Norse “Berserker”, telling him “Hello my son Ayubowan, I see you are suffering from ADHD. Let me give you a little Ayurvedic Medicine to treat your condition”.
Best regards
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LankaScot / October 18, 2026
Hello SebastianSR,
I have a possible Suicide Bomber relative present in Delhi 1857 at the start of what the Indians call their 1st War of Independence. The British called it the Indian Mutiny.
Many Scots of my generation will have heard of Conductor Scully blowing himself up in the Delhi Magazine, however there were 4 other British Soldiers that died in the explosion –
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defence_of_the_Magazine_at_Delhi
There are many differing accounts of how many Indians were killed in the explosion, one report put it at more than 1,000.
Would you condemn this Suicide Bombing?
Best regards
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SJ / October 17, 2026
“In July 1979, facing rising violence in the North, the Jayewardene government brought in the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act. “
Te author may not remember that N Sanmugathasan warned at the time that he legislation can reach further than Tamil militants.
*
The violence in the North at the time did not need special legislation to control it.
It was a menace, but not something that the police could not control using prevailing laws.
Violence was escalated by state sponsored crimes like the burning of the Jaffna library and the increased presence of the armed forces.
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SebastianSR / October 17, 2026
The violence in the North at the time did not need special legislation to control it.
It was a menace, but not something that the police could not control using prevailing laws.
It was N. Shanmugathasan who brought organized violence to the North. Wijeweera and also many Tamil miltitant lwftists were initially with him. His excuse was that there was already violence in the North in the form of Caste oppression and “the only way” to fight it was by counter violence. N. Shanmugathasan (acc. to BBSJeyraj spelt Sanmugathasan in his English Birth Certifcate) never presented himself for elections. I knw Shan as I went to his Marxist indoctrination classes at Colombo u. The violence in the North, when converted into an Ethnic bombshell by the TULF could not be stopped either by the police or by the PTA or even by the IPKF. It needed a full blown war because the “boys:”— the genie —had been freed from the bottle. Read the blood curdling versus of Kasi Anandan who quit the government service in 1970 and began naming “thurogi” to be assassinated. All the moderates who could have helped were assasinated, as named by Kasi.
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SJ / October 17, 2026
What was the violence perpetuated against oppressed castes by the Hindu Vellala elite if not systemic violence that went on for centuries?
The campaign against untouchability was peaceful until the police unleashed brutal violence against people who went on a peaceful march in 1967. I personally know a few victims.
Check your facts on who used violence against whom?
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SJ / October 17, 2026
Do you think that the burning of the library was an act of love by JRJ’s sidekicks Gamini and Cyril?
Instead of your BS, explain how a law against terrorism was needed in 1979 to deal with the youth movements?
Don’t draw red herrings as you do always.
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SJ / October 17, 2026
The author should know by now that he cannot dismiss this a a freak but as what the pattern of things will be in months to come.
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Douglas / October 17, 2026
Dr. Lionel Bopage and Dear Readers:
” A New Name For An Old Cage”
Do you want to know how an “Old Cage” operates under a “New Name”? Watch:
https://youtu.be/bgQUqtdIses?si=NaCsZP8E3qRsLNZ0
Dear Dr., I know you are far away from us and have forgotten how the ‘Political Underworld and Politicians’ operate in this country.
We are engaged in a massive struggle to defeat these ‘Monstrous Vampires’ because, after decades, it was possible to keep them out of governing this country. Not that we have found the ‘Perfect,’ but we are trying to get the ‘Best’ we can from something we can rely on. Nothing to achieve if we don’t try.
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SJ / October 17, 2026
D
Remember that the author was even more hopeful about the JVP(NPP) than you and several others here have been.
He visited the JVP recently. His affection for the JVP is still there.
He is not saying things out of hatred but sheer disappointment in this matter.
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leelagemalli / October 18, 2026
Who Is the “We” in This Struggle?
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“We are engaged in a massive struggle to defeat these ‘Monstrous Vampires’…” But who exactly is this “we”? Answer: Former blood suckers (Minkakkos from Unawatuna, that took the lives of my-peers-in-89-92?)
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After 26 months in power, the NPP government appears increasingly unable to deliver on many of its promises. President AKD repeatedly criticised previous governments as highly corrupt, yet the present administration has struggled to demonstrate that it can govern more effectively or ease the suffering of ordinary citizens. Promises of substantially lower electricity bills and more affordable fuel remain sources of public frustration.
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The government’s once-sharp rhetoric seems to be losing its force as expectations collide with reality. Meanwhile, political hostility and divisive rhetoric risk deepening social divisions rather than solving the nation’s problems.
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Equally concerning are tensions involving Buddhist institutions and religious sentiments, which have deep historical and cultural roots in Sri Lanka. Responsible leadership requires respect for these sensitivities, not political exploitation.
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A nation cannot progress on promises and accusations alone. It needs honesty, accountability, practical solutions, and leaders who put people’s welfare above political survival. Sri Lanka deserves better than rhetoric without results.
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leelagemalli / October 19, 2026
One of the biggest problems with the current NPP government is its lack of consistency in public statements. For instance, the figures presented by the President today differ significantly from those presented by the Prime Minister, who also serves as Minister of Education. How can such contradictions occur within a supposedly intelligent and coordinated Cabinet? Moreover, the President appears to introduce figures merely for public consumption, seemingly underestimating the intelligence of the people. Promises to build 250 4G towers and 450 lakes before the end of this year sound almost comical unless these are toy towers and miniature reservoirs. Who does he think he is misleading, and for how long?
Tbc
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leelagemalli / October 19, 2026
cont.
As an expatriate living in Europe, I feel deeply frustrated whenever I watch such scenes on television. Supporters are mobilised to create an impression of popularity, but whose money is being wasted? These public funds could instead support Ditwah victims still living in temporary tents, families devastated by human-elephant conflict, and farmers driven to despair by unsustainable debt.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6hxfahQT0g
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Meanwhile, the soaring cost of living is making even three meals a day increasingly difficult for many families, who struggle to meet their most basic needs. Using taxpayers’ money for rallies that primarily serve the NPP’s political interests, rather than addressing these urgent human hardships, is an insult to the intelligence and conscience of every thoughtful citizen.
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Mani / October 17, 2026
“We appeal to every Member, in government and in opposition: do not vote for this Bill as it stands.”
Dr. Bopage, does such an appeal even make any sense? We know that all the NPP members close ranks when it comes to a vote. The opposition does not have enough votes to oppose this bill. The issue here appears to be the interface between NPP incompetence (or cowardice or compliance) and the Defence Ministry ‘deep-state’ agenda which is preventing the NPP leadership from making a principled stand against authoritarian legislation that supports the abuse of power. If you want to make a difference, appeal to your leftist friends in the universities, NGOs, trade unions or wherever to take to the streets to protest against this bill – and others, such as the NGO bill, while they are at it. Also get the EU ambassadors to remind the government that GSP+ status will be a pipe dream for Sri Lanka next year. That might make a difference.
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SJ / October 17, 2026
M
Appeals are not always based on hope of favourable response.
They can be wake up calls.
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Douglas / October 17, 2026
We are witnessing the emergence of a ‘NEW’ terrorism in this country, orchestrated by the ‘Sinhala Buddhist Monks’. Secretly backed by a gang of politicians who were removed from governance of this country by the public but are making every effort to come back. This is centered on the theme ‘Release Galagoda Aththe Ganasara unconditionally .’ By now, you would have seen what that ‘Terrorism’ is being orchestrated in Viharamaha Devi Park. That ‘Terrorism’ was demonstrated at Galle Face, but had to be abandoned with a court order to vacate the grounds. Next, it was planted in Viharamaha Devi Park by placing a ‘Buddha’ statue and erecting tents for a few priests to spend the days and nights. The police intervened to clear that park for public use. In that attempt, one of the chief rebel monks was removed to the hospital for treatment. This ‘Terrorism’ started with a ‘Hidden Agenda,’ and that was to remove this Government. Did any of the organizers consider the ‘legality’ and the ‘plausibility’ of doing it ? No. Watch:
https://youtu.be/BO08EuO-nC4?si=MdkeLAAm_iRxUnd_
Will these ‘Terrorists’ attempt to understand this? No.
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leelagemalli / October 18, 2026
Readers,
Sri Lanka needs leadership that respects the people’s traditions, religious sentiments, and cultural values. While fighting corruption and introducing necessary reforms are essential, the government’s first priority must be to improve the economy and the daily lives of ordinary people. Many families are struggling to afford electricity, fuel, and other basic necessities. Economic growth, affordable living costs, and better opportunities must come before reforms that may deepen social divisions. The government must also be held accountable for costly decisions, questionable tender procedures, and failures that burden the nation.
The President, Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister must demonstrate competence, transparency, and responsibility. The concerns raised by Buddhist monks and others deserve clear, respectful answers from the President and the Minister of Buddhist Affairs, not silence or avoidance. Sri Lanka must not repeat the mistakes and tensions that preceded Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s final days in office. Leadership must be measured by results, not promises or political retaliation. We must demand accountability, economic recovery, and respectful dialogue to protect democracy and prevent another tragic bloodshed in our country.
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Native Vedda / October 18, 2026
Douglas
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“This is centered on the theme ‘Release Galagoda Aththe Ganasara unconditionally .’
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Can you think of a way to exile Gnanasara to Myanmar, where his mate Wirathu lives, or to North Korea, where he could establish his own brand of Sinhala Buddhism?
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If you are happy with this solution I could forward you another 200 odd names for immediate deportation.
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SebastianSR / October 19, 2026
To SJ who tells others to check facts, but he himself puts out ex cathedra statements.
My claims can be historically substantiated. Sanmugathasan (Shan) and the Ceylon Communist Party (Peking Wing) played a foundational role introducing organized, militancy to the North of SL in the late 1960s, heavily influencing subsequent Tamil militant groups. The 1966 “Mass Movement for the Eradication of Untouchability” in Jaffna was a direct response to severe caste oppression by upper-caste Jaffna elites. Shan organized the oppressed castes into armed cadres. This movement marked a departure from traditional parliamentary leftist politics, evolving into an armed uprising. It is widely documented as the first instance of organized, ideologically driven political violence in the modern history of the North. Tamil insurgent groups—who would later become more ethno-nationalist—drew heavily on the tactical, organizational, and military frameworks established by the Peking Wing. Prominent Tamil leftists who drifted to nationalist war, such as V. Ponnambalam (who formed the Red Tamil Movement), picked up Sanmugathasan’s radical stance against “parliamentary revisionism”; this attracted the country’s most volatile youth. Most notably, Rohana Wijeweera. See TamilNet article 13 September 2007, or Ravi Vaitheespara’s book for more details.
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