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The Committee to Protect Journalists has joined the many voices that have come forward to highlight the dangers to democracy that the Anti-Terrorism Bill and the Online Safety Bill pose. Their statement insists that the government should withdraw the bills to protect democratic values in the country.
The Director of CPJ said, “The proposed Online Safety Bill and Anti-Terrorism Bill are ripe for abuse against the media and would allow authorities to continue cracking down on press freedom and freedom of expression.”
Read more from Tamil Guardian:
Dangerous and deadly - Sri Lanka's proposed bills threaten to worsen authoritarianism
Due to compounding pressure from local and international actors, the Ministry of Justice had presented an amendment to the proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill. The amendment particularly removed provisions regarding the death penalty. Additionally, the Attorney General’s office told the Supreme Court that an amendment will be made to the Online Safety Bill as well. While the CPJ welcomed the changes, it called upon the government of Sri Lanka to ensure that the bills adhere to the standard of International Humanitarian Law.
While the government of Sri Lanka is seemingly making moves to adhere to local and international opinion, it is increasingly becoming clear that it fully intends to pass the proposed legislature in one form or another. In a country where progressive legislature such as the ICCPR Act has been mobilised to violate marginalised voices, the two bills, compounded together, pose severe dangers to fundamental rights, assuring Sri Lanka’s quick slide into worse forms of authoritarianism.
Committee to Protect Journalists can be read here.
