Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara says the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) will be repealed and replaced with new legislation focused solely on preventing terrorism, without being used to suppress individuals or political groups.
Speaking during a discussion with civil society representatives and public stakeholders at the Kilinochchi District Secretariat on Thursday (19), the Minister said the proposed legislation is expected to be presented within the next two months.
“The Prevention of Terrorism Act will be repealed, and a new Bill will be introduced solely for the purpose of preventing terrorism, not for suppressing individuals or other parties,” he said.
Addressing concerns regarding missing persons, Nanayakkara emphasized that investigations must be completed and justice delivered to affected families.
“It has been one and a half years since our Government came to power. When I visited this area a year ago, discussions on missing persons were still ongoing. At that time, the mechanism for investigating these cases had collapsed. Within the past year, the necessary recruitments were made and funds were allocated to strengthen the Office on Missing Persons (OMP),” he said.
The Minister acknowledged public dissatisfaction with previous administrations and the OMP process, arguing that earlier governments had failed to bring investigations to a conclusion despite the end of the civil war in 2009.
“The fact that issues relating to missing persons remain unresolved shows that previous governments lacked the political will to complete these investigations,” he said.
Nanayakkara stressed that lasting peace requires justice, reconciliation, and coexistence.
“Both the North and the South suffered greatly during the 30-year conflict. Such a situation must never happen again. To prevent the recurrence of war, we must build coexistence and friendship. Justice must be delivered to the families of the missing, and these investigations must reach a conclusion,” he said.
The Minister also highlighted ongoing efforts to release State-held lands in the Northern Province and reopen access roads, stating that Tamil communities should no longer feel marginalized.
“The Tamil people cannot be made to feel like second-class citizens anymore. We must build confidence among the people of the North, and the Government is committed to doing so,” he said.
During the meeting, civil society representatives and members of the public raised concerns regarding missing persons investigations and related complaints, which were addressed by the Minister and officials.
Among those present were Jaffna District MP K. Ilankumaran, Vanni District MP S. Thilakanathan, Kilinochchi District Secretary S. Muralitharan, Office on Missing Persons Chairman Mahesh Katulanda and members of the OMP Board, district officials, regional coordinators, and representatives of civil society organizations.