Sri Lanka's cabinet last week announced sweeping anti-terror measures which had been suspended by the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement amid months of violence that has left the truce in shreds.
The decision came in the wake of a suicide bombing that narrowly missed Sri Lanka Defence Secretary Gothebaya Rajapakse and for which the government has blamed the LTTE.
"The prevention of terrorism act [comes] because, with the escalation of violence and terrorism activities, we need to have some control," Sri Lanka’s defence spokesman and government minister Keheliya Rambukwella told Reuter.
"With the signing of the ceasefire agreement, that (PTA) was set aside. It [was] dormant," he said.
Ministers stopped short of banning the LTTE but tightened existing emergency laws which have been dormant since a 2002 Ceasefire agreement (CFA) that is now in shreds.
Sri Lankan security forces again have wide-ranging powers to search, arrest and question.
The government said the far-reaching measures, which do not mention the Tamil Tigers by name, were effective immediately.
Wearing a uniform "relating to terrorism" or assisting or harbouring anyone "engaged in terrorism" will be prohibited under the new regulations, a statement said.
Taking part in "any activity relating to terrorism" is also banned, as is any financial or other support to a person or group deemed to be engaged in "terrorist-related activities".
"Contravention of these regulations carries penalties imposed by a high court, varying from imprisonment from 10 to 20 years, or five to 10 years, depending on the nature of the offence," the statement said.
Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said Sri Lanka's ban on the LTTE had not been reimposed because a similar move in 1998 had failed to end violence.
Observers say Wednesday's announcement is aimed at appearing tough while not closing the door on negotiations with the LTTE.
TamilNet reported the cabinet decision was "a major breach" of the CFA (Clause 2.12) and gave "excessive powers of arrest and detention to the Sri Lankan armed forces"
It recalled that "thousands of Tamil men, women and children were indiscriminately arrested, tortured and detained for indefinite periods" until previous anti-terror laws were suspended as part of peace moves.
Sri Lanka's government lifted its ban on the Tamil Tigers ahead of the ceasefire deal and peace talks brokered by Norway.
The old Prevention of Terrorism Act was effectively suspended following the truce.
The main opposition said it supports the new regulations, if they were to outlaw terrorist activities.
Tissa Attanayake, Secretary General of the UNP which has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Rajapsakse government did not rule out that there is also a danger in these laws if applied to submerge political activities in the south.
When told UNP also adopted such laws in the past and there were disappearances and assassinations carried out in the guise of these laws, he said everybody witnessed what happened in the period between1988 and 1989.
“It was a period of terror”, he said.
Attanayake said although government bring in these laws to counter terrorism in no way could stop the efforts to find a political solution to the national question.
The leader of the TNA, Sri Lanka’s largest Tamil party, R. Sambanthan said though these laws were there in the past it did not help to bring a solution to the conflict.
Those who have taken arms to their hands to fight a war were not affected by anti-terror laws but it was mostly the innocent Tamil people who were affected, Sampanthan said.
The decision came in the wake of a suicide bombing that narrowly missed Sri Lanka Defence Secretary Gothebaya Rajapakse and for which the government has blamed the LTTE.
"The prevention of terrorism act [comes] because, with the escalation of violence and terrorism activities, we need to have some control," Sri Lanka’s defence spokesman and government minister Keheliya Rambukwella told Reuter.
"With the signing of the ceasefire agreement, that (PTA) was set aside. It [was] dormant," he said.
Ministers stopped short of banning the LTTE but tightened existing emergency laws which have been dormant since a 2002 Ceasefire agreement (CFA) that is now in shreds.
Sri Lankan security forces again have wide-ranging powers to search, arrest and question.
The government said the far-reaching measures, which do not mention the Tamil Tigers by name, were effective immediately.
Wearing a uniform "relating to terrorism" or assisting or harbouring anyone "engaged in terrorism" will be prohibited under the new regulations, a statement said.
Taking part in "any activity relating to terrorism" is also banned, as is any financial or other support to a person or group deemed to be engaged in "terrorist-related activities".
"Contravention of these regulations carries penalties imposed by a high court, varying from imprisonment from 10 to 20 years, or five to 10 years, depending on the nature of the offence," the statement said.
Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said Sri Lanka's ban on the LTTE had not been reimposed because a similar move in 1998 had failed to end violence.
Observers say Wednesday's announcement is aimed at appearing tough while not closing the door on negotiations with the LTTE.
TamilNet reported the cabinet decision was "a major breach" of the CFA (Clause 2.12) and gave "excessive powers of arrest and detention to the Sri Lankan armed forces"
It recalled that "thousands of Tamil men, women and children were indiscriminately arrested, tortured and detained for indefinite periods" until previous anti-terror laws were suspended as part of peace moves.
Sri Lanka's government lifted its ban on the Tamil Tigers ahead of the ceasefire deal and peace talks brokered by Norway.
The old Prevention of Terrorism Act was effectively suspended following the truce.
The main opposition said it supports the new regulations, if they were to outlaw terrorist activities.
Tissa Attanayake, Secretary General of the UNP which has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Rajapsakse government did not rule out that there is also a danger in these laws if applied to submerge political activities in the south.
When told UNP also adopted such laws in the past and there were disappearances and assassinations carried out in the guise of these laws, he said everybody witnessed what happened in the period between1988 and 1989.
“It was a period of terror”, he said.
Attanayake said although government bring in these laws to counter terrorism in no way could stop the efforts to find a political solution to the national question.
The leader of the TNA, Sri Lanka’s largest Tamil party, R. Sambanthan said though these laws were there in the past it did not help to bring a solution to the conflict.
Those who have taken arms to their hands to fight a war were not affected by anti-terror laws but it was mostly the innocent Tamil people who were affected, Sampanthan said.
