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EU puts Government on notice over failure to repeal PTA
02 Nov, 2017
The European Union (EU) today put the Government on notice over its failure to repeal the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
EU Parliament member Jean Lambert told reporters that failure to repeal the PTA would see Sri Lanka coming under fire in the?EU Parliament.
“The EU Parliament will want to know why there is no progress on the issue,” she said.
Lambert, who led an EU Parliament delegation on a visit to Sri Lanka said that the Government had promised last year that the PTA will be replaced with a new counter terrorism act.
However she says, despite the assurance, the PTA is still in place and detainees arrested under the PTA are still behind bars.
Lambert, who together with the EU Parliament delegation, had talks with the Sri Lankan Government and civil society during her just concluded visit, said that there was also slow progress on post war accountability.
She said the UN resolution on Sri Lanka which was passed by the UN Human Rights Council in March this year, must be fully implemented.
Lambert, meanwhile she noted that the release of a national action plan on human rights by the Government this week and moves to draft a new Constitution were positive signs.
With regards to Sri Lanka implementing the 27 conventions on the GSP plus trade concession,?Lambert said that the EU Commission will submit a report in January and the?EU Parliament will then need to see how far Sri Lanka has progressed.
However she also noted that Sri Lanka still has time to meet its commitments related to GSP plus.?(Colombo Gazette)
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