Government Attempting to Impose State Terrorism on the People: Opposition Leader

04-Nov-2026

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Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has accused the present Government of attempting to legally impose state terrorism on the country's 22 million people by introducing two new laws under the pretext of protecting the State from terrorism and preventing organised crime.

He made these remarks while addressing an event held on November 1, 2026, to distribute bags of cement for development activities at Sri Subothirajaramaya Temple in Kallela Kusumgama, Polonnaruwa District.

Speaking further, the Opposition Leader stated:

These laws have been drafted in a manner that curtails the powers of the judiciary and allows the Executive to determine who should be classified as a 'terrorist'. Through these provisions, the Government has assumed the authority to label individuals as terrorists or organised criminals based on their clothing, hairstyles and tattoos.

The objective of these laws is to deprive citizens of their fundamental human rights, including freedom of religious belief, freedom of expression, the right to assemble and the right to conduct peaceful protests.

Anti-terrorism legislation must be enacted in accordance with international conventions. However, the laws currently being introduced appear to be aimed not at protecting people's rights but at establishing one-party rule and undermining democracy.

Referring to the special status accorded to Buddhism under the Constitution and the recognition granted to other religions, he pointed out that former President Ranasinghe Premadasa had established a Ministry of Buddha Sasana and State Ministries for other religions. Subsequent administrations reduced these institutions to departments, while the present Government has reached a point where it is even interfering with the saffron robes worn by Buddhist monks.

"We are not people who use religion to gain political advantage by pretending to be Buddhists through slogans and public displays. The President has still not apologised to the people of this country for the incidents that have taken place so far.

"As Buddhists, while protecting our religion, we must reject racism and religious extremism. We must promote progressive nationalism that respects all religions and give due recognition to all religious communities and ethnic groups," he said.