Watch the full webinar here:
CPA Comms Officer on 24 August, 2022 Statement on the use of Detention Orders issued under the PTA by President Ranil Wickremesinghe
24th August 2022, Colombo:
The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) is deeply concerned by steps taken by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Minister of Defense, to issue three detention orders under section 9 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act (PTA), permitting the detention of Wasantha Mudalige – Convener of Inter-University Students’ Federation, Hashantha Jeewantha Gunathilake and Ven. Galwewa Siridhamma Thera for a period of 90 days. This move to detain the three suspects for their alleged involvement in the recent protests is yet another example of the abuse of the PTA by the Executive, which there have been persistent calls for the repeal of for several decades. Moreover, this detention for the apparent involvement in the ‘Aragalaya’ appears to be yet another effort by the United National Party – Sri Lanka Podujana Party government to target protesters, and create a chilling effect in order to silence dissent.
Read the full statement in English here.
Read the full statement in Sinhala here.
Read the full statement in Tamil here.
CPA Comms Officer on 8 August, 2022 Summary Findings and Overview (Sinhala) of the CONFIDENCE IN DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE INDEX- WAVE 3
විකල්ප ප්රතිපත්ති කේන්ද්රයේ සමීක්ෂණ පර්යේෂණ අංශය වන සෝෂල් ඉන්ඩිකේටර් (SI) විසින් ප්රජාතන්ත්රවාදී ආණ්ඩුකරණය පිළිබඳ විශ්වාසනීයත්ව දර්ශකයෙහි (අදියර 3) වාර්තාවේ සාරාංශය ඉදිරිපත් කර ඇත. ශ්රී ලංකාව මුහුණ දී සිටින ආර්ථික හා දේශපාලන අර්බුදය හමුවේ, මෙම මත විමසුම සැලසුම් කර ඇත්තේ මහජන අත්දැකීම්, අරගලය පිළිබඳ ඔවුන්ගේ මතය සහ වර්තමාන ආර්ථික දේශපාලනික අර්බුධයේ විවිධ පැතිකඩ පිළිබඳ මහජන මතය ග්රහණය කර ගැනීමේ අරමුණින් ය.
කරුණාකර සිංහල වාර්තාවේ සාරාංශය මෙතනින් භාගත කරන්න.
CPA Comms Officer on 8 August, 2022 Summary Findings and Overview (Tamil) of the CONFIDENCE IN DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE INDEX- WAVE 3
இந்த அறிக்கையானது மாற்றுக் கொள்கைகளுக்கான நிலையத்தின் கணிப்பீட்டாய்வுப் பிரிவான சோஷல் இன்டிகேட்டரினால் சமீபத்தில் நடாத்தப்பட்ட ஜனநாயக ஆட்சி தொடர்பான நம்பிக்கைச் சுட்டி (3வது அலை) ஆய்வின் முடிவுகளை வெளியிடுகின்றது. இலங்கை தற்போது முகம்கொடுக்கும் அரசியல் மற்றும் பொருளாதார நெருக்கடி நிலைமையில் பொதுமக்களின் அனுபவங்களையும், ஆர்ப்பாட்டம் மற்றும் தற்போதைய அரசியல் பொருளாதார நெருக்கடி தொடர்பான பல்வேறுபட்ட அம்சங்கள் பற்றிய அபிப்பிராயங்களையும் அறிந்துகொள்ளும் நோக்கில் இந்த ஆய்வு வடிவமைக்கப்பட்டது.
Read the summary findings in Tamil here:
CPA Comms Officer on 8 August, 2022 Summary Findings and Overview (English) of the CONFIDENCE IN DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE INDEX- WAVE 3
This report presents the summary findings and overview of the Confidence in Democratic Governance Index (Wave 3) conducted by Social Indicator (SI); the survey research arm of the Centre for Policy Alternatives. Given the economic and political crisis, Sri Lanka is facing, this poll was designed with the aim of capturing the public experience, their opinion on the Aragalaya, and various aspects of the current economic and political crisis. Since the situation in Sri Lanka is volatile, this survey had to be conducted within a very short period of time, employing SI’s countrywide field network. Field work for the study was conducted from the 1st to the 5th of August.
Please download the English version of the report here.
CPA Comms Officer on 8 August, 2022 The Centre for Policy Alternatives and Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu vs. The Attorney General [SC FR 262/ 2022]
The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and its Executive Director Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, filed a Petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Emergency (Miscellaneous Provisions and Powers) Regulations No.1 of 2022 gazetted by Extraordinary Gazette No 2289/07 dated 18th July 2022.
CPA had previously raised concerns about the declaration of State of Emergency and provided a commentary on Emergency (Miscellaneous Provisions and Powers) Regulations No.1 of 2022. A State of Emergency was declared in two previous instances this year, on 1st April 2022 and 6th May 2022. On both occasions, the former President did not cause the proclamations declaring the said States of Emergency to be placed before Parliament for its approval. Thus neither of such Proclamations was approved by Parliament. Accordingly, Dr. Saravanamuttu had previously challenged this mala fide declaration of the State of Emergency (of May 2022) and the unconstitutional and overbroad Emergency Regulations.
The Petitioners argue that the power of the Executive to make Emergency Regulations must be exercised reasonably and proportionately. Furthermore, it was submitted that in addition to the concerns raised about specific Emergency Regulations, as a whole the Emergency (Miscellaneous Provisions and Powers) Regulation No.1 of 2022 are overbroad and vague and undermine the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of Sri Lanka.
The Petitioners further stated that the regulations contained in Emergency (Miscellaneous Provisions and Powers) Regulation No.1 of 2022 do not address the economic and political crisis faced by the country and have been designed and/or promulgated with the collateral purpose of stifling dissent and the freedom of assembly and not to address any legitimate public security concern.
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UPDATE
On 23rd July 2025, the Supreme Court delivered a judgement which unanimously held that;
1) The Supreme Court has the jurisdiction to inquire into whether a proclamation declaring a State of Emergency would violate the rights of the citizens of Sri Lanka,
2) The Emergency Regulations promulgated in terms of the said proclamation in July 2022 were as a whole were overbroad.
In the majority judgement, the Court declared that the State of Emergency declared in July 2022 and the Emergency Regulations violated the Fundamental Rights of Citizens of Sri Lanka, there was a dissenting judgement on whether the declaration of that particular State of Emergency violated fundamental rights recognised under the constitution.
CPA Comms Officer on 3 August, 2022 Sri Lanka – Civil Society Statement on attacks and reprisals against peaceful protesters
2nd August 2022
We, the undersigned individuals and organizations strongly condemn the ongoing attacks including violence, false labeling and legal reprisals against unarmed peaceful protesters by the Sri Lankan government. We call for an immediate end to reprisals against those exercising their constitutionally protected rights to advocate for change.
Read the full statement here.