MILITARISATION

With the recurrent mob-violence against democratic, non-violent, protests in Colombo, the Tamil leadership was forced move the venue of their non-violent protest demonstrations [Photos] to the Tamil homelands. The Sri Lanka government responded by sending the armed forces to break up the protest meetings in 1961. Thereafter the army, permanently stationed in the Tamil homelands, started to harass, torture and kill Tamil civilians with increasing ferocity. Later, legislations (Emergency Regulations & Prevention of Terrorism Act of 1979) were enacted to legitimize these activities.

The International Commission of Jurists said, "The South African Terrorism Act has been called 'A piece of legislation which must shock the conscience of a lawyer.' Many of the provisions of the Sri Lankan Prevention of Terrorism Act are equally contrary to accepted principles of the Rule of Law." - Virginia Leary; Ethnic Conflict and Violence in Sri Lanka: Report of a Mission to Sri Lanka on behalf of the International Commission of Jurists, July/August 1981