Proposed hate speech laws will bury freedom of expression – CaFFE

If the proposed hate speech laws existed in 2012, most of the religious and civil leaders who played a prominent role in forming the UNFGG will still be in jail, Keerthi Tennakoon, Executive Director of Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) and Centre for Human Rights (CHR) said.

Tennakoon made this statement during a round table discussion with civil society and trade union leaders about these proposed laws yesterday (18) in Rajagiriya.

Tennakoon added that these new laws are a carbon copy of provisions of the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

"We have been fighting against the PTA for decades. Instead of repealing the PTA the government has introduced more draconian laws. We have a responsibility to defeat these laws. We have never spread hate against any ethnicity or religion. We have always led the movements against hate but if these new laws are implemented the existing harmony between ethnicities will also vanish,"he said.

Tennakoon added that the government promised to introduce a number of legislation that would lead to good governance.

"However what it has introduced this draconian act. If these laws pass, it will pave the way to take any activist or a journalist to the guillotine. The constitution of the country has ensured freedom of speech, so it is unconstitutional to bring laws that restrict these freedoms. There are a number of detainees, arrested under the PTA, that are languishing in prisons without any charge. Instead of releasing them, the government is focused on bringing in legislation that no one asked for," he said.

The people are demanding the Right to Information act, national audit bill and assets and declaration laws.

However the new hate speech laws will only increase the gap between ethnicities and because the great potential of these proposals to stifle any dissent, civil society organizations must join hands against these proposals, he added.