Ask MPs if you mandated them to create torture camps in Sri Lanka. – Attorney, Swasthika Arulingam

“People should pressure their members of Parliament which include MPs with the Government to not vote for this. This Bill won’t pass if the majority doesn’t vote for it. This Bill should be shelved. This cannot be made better. It should be shelved and destroyed.” Told Swasthika Arulingam commenting on the new bill of the Bureau of Rehabilitation in Sri Lanka.

“The Parliament will be debating something called the “Bureau of Rehabilitation Bill”. I have read this Bill cover to cover. I can tell you with no uncertainty that the Bureau of Rehabilitation is a concentration camp in the making.” She said.

“In the Rehabilitation Bureau torture is legal. Forced labour is legal. You can be forced fed with drugs. Once admitted you must obey the authority. Disobedience is punished with imprisonment or worse the use of force.” Swasthika Arulingam, an Attorney at Law and a Human Rights Activist explained, how would it be this Rehabilitation Centre? if the bill gets approved.

“On the 20th May 2022, MP Namal Rajapakse the elder son of the former President and the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka said the Aragalaya (Peoples’ Struggle) youth must be sent for rehabilitation. In September 2022 the Ranil-Rajapkase’s Government is bringing a Bill to rehabilitate ‘groups of people’ including ‘ex-combatants’. Our country seems to be passing laws to appease the hurt egos of the Rajapakses including Younger Rajapakse.” Said Swasthika.

She also said that “the authority can beat you, ill-treat you, and even forget about you. All of this is legal in the Bill. Once admitted you cannot exit the Center even if you want to. If you do try and exit the authority will term it as “escape” and the police or the armed forces can drag you back into the camp. And if the President wants he can even get the military to run the entire place.” She said.

The Bill claims this law is for violent and extremist groups, drug-dependent persons, and ex combatants. But if you think you will not be trapped in this place there is also a section for ‘other groups” of persons. To date no one knows not even the legal draftsman’s department who drafted the Bill who will fall into this other group, Swasthika added.

“All of what I said above will be legal in a few weeks time. 225 people will be debating in Parliament whether they want a repetition of what happened in Germany or not. This Bill may pass. If it does and if there is a next time, remember this – we all wonder how so many thousands of good Germans allowed the Holocaust to happen. Well, this is exactly how it started.” saying so, she pointed out the horror of it.

Attorney Swasthika requests people to pressure the Parliamentarians including MPs with the Government to not vote for this Bill. This Bill won’t pass if the majority doesn’t vote for it. This Bill should be shelved. This cannot be made better. It should be shelved and destroyed.” She said.

“225 people are people we elected to power. Call them, meet with them and speak to them and ask if you mandated them to create torture camps in Sri Lanka. Campaign, go to the streets and protest like we protested in the last several months when our leaders brought us in to an economic crisis. Hold placards and boards, shout slogans make sure everyone one of us know that our elected representatives will be violating the mandate we gave them when we voted for them if they pass this law.” She requests people.