Repealing PTA: Test of integrity for Sri Lanka's new political order

THE National People's Power (NPP) emerged as a political force on the promise of transformative change. Among its core pledges—stated without ambiguity—was the complete repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

- By Mahil Dole

This commitment, made in both its Presidential and Parliamentary election manifestos, was a powerful acknowledgment of the deep scars this law has left on Sri Lanka's social fabric. But now, signs of hesitation are emerging—and with them, the risk of betraying both domestic and international trust.

Importantly, at no point did the NPP campaign on a platform of replacing the PTA with a similarly broad and punitive law. If such an intention existed, it should have been clearly conveyed to the electorate. To proceed with a replacement now, cloaked in legal ambiguity or national security rhetoric, would be an act of political duplicity.

A law that bred conflict, not stability

Having served over four decades in law enforcement and national security—including as the head of the Counter-Terrorism Division—I have witnessed firsthand how the PTA, rather than curbing extremism, amplified cycles of violence and deepened ethnic grievances. Introduced in 1979 as a temporary measure, it soon became permanent. From the beginning, its broad and unchecked powers were used not just against armed militants but against journalists, students, political dissidents, and innocent civilians.