On 19 July 2025 – The Prevention of Terrorism Act was 46 years old.
On 19 July 2025 – The Prevention of Terrorism Act was 46 years old.
This is a law passed by the United National Party (UNP) government to kill Tamils by a law written by a Tamil.
On 19 July 1979, at 10.45 pm, the Prevention of Terrorism Act was passed in the Sri Lankan Parliament.
This law was prepared as a temporary law in 1978 and passed on 19 July 1979, and was made a permanent law in 1982, exactly four years later.
On 19 July 1979, at 1 pm, K. W. Devanayagam, who was the Member of Parliament for the electorate Kalkudah in the Batticaloa District and was the Minister of Justice, presented this law. It was passed on the same day.
On 14 May 1976, the Vaddukottai Resolution was passed by Thanthai Selva. After Thanthai Selva passed away on 26 April 1977, Tamil United Liberation Front in the North and East used the general election held on 21 July 1977 to get the mandate for the Vaddukottai Resolution.
In this election, out of the 23 Tamil electorates, 18 electorates gave the mandate for the Vaddukottai Resolution.
In the Kalkudah electorate of Batticaloa district, the mandate was not obtained.
K. W. Devanayagam of the United National Party won the election in Kalkudah electorate against Sammanthamoorthy, who contested as a candidate of the Tamil United Liberation Front.
J. R. Jayewardene, who was the Prime Minister from the United National Party government praised K. W. Devanayagam for defeating the Tamil United Liberation Front especially for defeating the Vaddukottai Resolution, welcomed him with a handshake and offered him the position of Minister of Justice.
The cruel Prevention of Terrorism Act was passed in Parliament with the help of a Tamil, K.W Devanayakam against Tamils.
In the 1977 election Tamil United Libration Front won in 18 electorates in the North and East. The winning of the 18 Tamil electorates not only gave recognition to Vaddukottai resolution but also for the first time in Sri Lanka’s history, a Tamil became the Leader of the Opposition. Appapillai Amirthalingam became the Opposition Leader.
When this law was passed, the Opposition Leader Appapillai Amirthalingam of Tamil United Liberation Front spoke against the law but requested his 18 members of Parliament to abstain from voting against the law.
A Tamil, K.W Devanayagam introduced and got the Prevention of Terrorism Act passed in Parliament and 18 Tamil members of parliament kept away from voting against the law.
This is also a historical betrayal in the Tamils’ history.
When J.R. Jayewardene, who came to power with a majority in 1977, brought this terrible law on 19 July 1979, to crush the armed struggle of the Tamil youth, two members of Parliament from the majority community spoke in Parliament against the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
1. Colombo South MP A.P.D. Sossa warned that “detaining innocent people without trial is dangerous.”
2. Madawachi MP Maithripala Senanayake addressed Parliament, saying, “This is a dictatorship when the LTTE and other movements are already banned using the Emergency Law and the Public Security Act which are already in place in Sri Lanka.”
J.R. Jayewardene’s son-in-law, Brigadier Tissa Weeratunga, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Northern Army to destroy Tamil militants. He launched a military operation for six months from 31 July 1979 to 31 December 1979. This operation led to the disappearance of many Tamil youth.
Although the Prevention of Terrorism Act was introduced as a temporary law, it was later passed as a permanent law in 1982.
The parliamentary debate lasted only about ten hours and the act was hastily passed.
In the last 46 years mainly the Tamils in Sri Lanka were tortured and affected by the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Even now, many people have been arrested under this law and are still being arrested.
International countries have been continuously expressing pressure on Sri Lanka to completely repeal this law.
Many people spoke of this law as a law presented by a Tamil, K. W. .Devanayagam and passed in the parliament against the Tamils.
J.R. Jayewardene, who gave the Justice Minister position to Kalkudah MP, K. W. Devanayakam and got the Prevention of Terrorism Act passed in Parliament on 19 July 1979, snatched the Justice Minister position from K. D. Devanayakam exactly on seven months and gave him the Minister of Local Government on 14 February 1980.
It is a good lesson for the current youth to know the history that the United National Party government appointed a Tamil as the Justice Minister only to implement the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Since 1979 over 46 years until today under the Prevention of Terrorism Act Hundreds of Tamils have been imprisoned and thousands of Tamils have been killed. Some of them are still being kept behind bars in prisons.
Harshana Nanayakkara, Minister of Justice of the National People’s Power Government in an interview given to a private television channel on 4 July 2025, informed that the Prevention of Terrorism Act, which has been in force in Sri Lanka since 1979, will be completely repealed by September 2025.
The Minister also stated:
“The Prevention of Terrorism Act was brought in as a temporary law in 1979. However, it continues to this day.
In this situation, a committee was formed to study the process of repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
The committee is currently examining all the opinions and suggestions. The opinions of the public were also sought by the committee.
In this way, the Prevention of Terrorism Act will be completely repealed by September 2025.”
The truth is that all the governments that have been in power for the past 46 years have dragging on by saying that they will repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
P. Ariyanethiran
19 July 2025
Translated by PA
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