JAFFNA, Sri Lanka, Oct. 28, 2026 — The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) and the Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA) have agreed to work as a single bloc in local government councils and to hold a joint protest against two bills the government has proposed to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
M.A. Sumanthiran, ITAK's acting general secretary, announced the agreement to reporters in Jaffna on Tuesday after a meeting between the leaders of the two parties.
He said both parties will send detailed instructions to their council chairpersons and members, directing them to cooperate and “function as though they belong to a single party,” particularly on financial allocations and development projects.
“We discussed the importance of members of our two parties working together in agreement and cooperation within local government councils,” Mr. Sumanthiran said.
The leaders also discussed the Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill and the Organised Crime Bill, which the government has presented as replacements for the Prevention of Terrorism Act, or PTA. Mr. Sumanthiran said the two bills contain provisions that were absent even from the existing law.
He cited the use of confessions as evidence. Under the PTA, confessions made to police officers are admissible in court, a provision he said had “extremely serious consequences.” The government says the provision has been removed from the new terrorism bill. Mr. Sumanthiran said the same provision now appears in the Organised Crime Bill.
“All the objectionable provisions contained in the Prevention of Terrorism Act have effectively been incorporated into these two proposed laws,” he said. “Furthermore, these bills introduce additional provisions that could have even more dangerous consequences.”
The PTA was enacted in 1979 as a temporary measure. Human rights groups have long criticized it for permitting extended detention without charge, and it was used to detain large numbers of Tamils during and after the civil war. Successive governments have promised to repeal or replace it.
The two parties have not set a date for the protest. Mr. Sumanthiran said they would first consult party members and supporters. “We will discuss the details with our respective party members and supporters before making a formal announcement,” he said.
