Sri Lankan opposition figures raise concerns over organised crime bill

The Island reports that SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa warned that the proposed Organised Crime Prevention Bill might enable practices resembling those used in Sri Lanka in 1988–89.

Newswire reports that Frontline Socialist Party Education Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda raised objections at a media briefing to the bill’s breadth. He questioned including unlawful second marriages, copyright violations, gambling without a licence and prohibited conduct in protected forests in legislation aimed at organised crime, arguing that ordinary people could face serious consequences for offences not usually linked to such activity.

Newswire reports that Jayagoda described the bill’s definition of an organised criminal group as a structured collection of at least three people acting jointly to commit specified offences for financial or other material gain. He also questioned the use of clothing, hairstyles, gestures, language and tattoos associated with known criminal groups when assessing whether someone belongs to one, including how the provision might affect people with tattoos acquired before the law.

Newswire reports that Jayagoda warned that provisions concerning obstruction of police officers could be used against protesters or people intervening in alleged police misconduct. He called for closer scrutiny of the proposal. Newswire reports the bill was placed before Parliament on October 20; the reports provide no further account of its parliamentary progress.