Christian clergy at the Chemmani Solidarity Cry protest in Jaffna in October 2025. File photograph
The National Christian Council of Sri Lanka has called on the government to withdraw or overhaul its proposed terrorism, organised crime and NGO bills, in a statement signed by church leaders including the Bishop of Jaffna.
In a statement on the Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill, the Prevention of Organised Crimes Bill and the Non-Governmental Organisations (Registration and Supervision) Bill, the council warned that together the laws “form a mutually reinforcing architecture of suppression” drafted without consultation with civil society and religious bodies.
It said the terrorism bill shifted the focus from protecting civilians to protecting state institutions against dissent, and that criteria such as “unduly compelling a Government” or considering dress, tattoos and associations risked criminalising identity and peaceful protest.
The council said detention powers of up to 12 months were vested in executive officials such as the Defence Secretary rather than judges, with magistrates compelled to give effect to executive orders without granting bail, and that suspects could face cumulative custody of up to three years. It said bail safeguards agreed by advisory committees had been “secretly removed” from the tabled text.
It also objected to the expansion of warrantless arrest powers to the armed forces and coast guard, and to provisions in the organised crime bill permitting digital surveillance, device decryption and subscriber data extraction without court orders. The NGO bill, it said, “crosses the line from regulation to control”.
“Legislation dealing with national security or corruption must never suppress dissent or dismantle democratic accountability. We call upon the Government of Sri Lanka to immediately withdraw or substantially overhaul these draft bills,” the statement said.
Protesters against the terrorism bill at Gandhi Park in Batticaloa on 9 October. File photograph
The statement was signed by the council's chairperson, Rev Saman Perera, the Bishop of Jaffna of the Church of South India, Rt Rev Dr V Pathmathayalan, the Bishop of Colombo, Rt Rev Dushantha Rodrigo, and leaders of the Methodist, Baptist and other churches.
Four UN special rapporteurs warned in September that the NGO bill was inconsistent with the right to freedom of association, while the Supreme Court is hearing petitions against the terrorism bill.
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
Please use below email to contact us:
Loading comments…