The Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill (PSTB) may be presented as legislation that applies to everyone. But laws do not operate in a vacuum. Their impact depends on how governments interpret and enforce them.
The Tamil people know this from our experience with the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Although it is a law applicable to everyone, its use over the decades has disproportionately affected Tamils. Security laws have repeatedly been used in the North and East to target people, restrict dissent and treat legitimate political demands as security threats.
The concern is that the proposed Bill could create similar opportunities for abuse. Our struggles against discriminatory policies, land appropriation, militarisation and the denial of accountability could be brought within the scope of terrorism through broad and potentially expansive provisions.
This is not simply a question of whether the law applies to everyone. It is about who is most likely to be targeted when the law is put into practice. Our past experience gives us every reason to take these risks seriously.
I discussed this in my interview with Virakesari.
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