Counter Terrorism Bill will turn citizens into slaves: Cardinal

The proposed Counter Terrorism Bill will make citizens of the country into slaves as it can be used to harass people, Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith alleged today.  

“This new legislation is more draconian than the Prevention  of Terrorism Act (PTA) which was enacted in  1987. A person could be held only for three months under the old legislation while a person could be held for a longer period under the new propose law,” Cardinal Ranjith  told a meida briefing.

“Any MP who votes for this Bill will be branded as one who does not love his nation and her people,” he added.

“There is an internationally accepted definition on terrorism when it comes to legislations such as this. However  the definition  of terrorism in this particular Bill is wider and some  harmless acts  have been defined as acts of terror in this Bill. It provides provisions for the government to control protests  through drastic measures,” he also said