Human Rights Watch says Sri Lanka still uses abusive laws

(September 10, 2011) Despite draconian wartime laws, Sri Lanka’s government is using new “abusive” regulations to keep hundreds of people in jail without trial, and international human rights group has said. In a statement on Wednesday, the New York-based Human Rights Watch called on the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse to abolish such detention laws and free the prisoners. The statement comes as a reminder that Sri Lanka’s government remains on the radar of civil rights groups which have repeatedly accused it of groos violation during the 26-year old war against the separatist Tamil Tigers, vanquished in 2009, The emergency laws of the past 30 years had allowed authorities to detain suspects for up to one year without trial. These laws lapsed last week and President Rajapakse said the laws were no longer needed now, but he upheld four regulations under the powerful Prevention of Terrorism Act allowing government to continue holding arrested rebel suspects. Tamil Lawmakers say there are about 900 such detainees.