Sri Lanka: Thousands of protesters demand withdrawal of restrictive bills

Thousands of people marched in Colombo on Wednesday, calling for the withdrawal of two bills on terrorism and organized crime at the invitation of the Socialist Front Party and its allies. The proposed antiterrorism bill would allow detention for up to 72 hours without judicial oversight, police detention of a suspect for as long as a year, and expanded surveillance powers. The UN says the bills define terrorism too vaguely and threaten freedoms including the right to protest and journalists’ ability to work. The Centre for Policy Alternatives has called for the bills to be withdrawn and petitioned the Supreme Court, while President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s party holds a two-thirds parliamentary majority.