The Sri Lankan government will have a tough time endearing itself to the global community following the imposition of new laws to hold terror suspects.
Following the rout of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), after a long civil war, it is perceived that the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse has been doing little, by way of concrete action, to rehabilitate the Tamil community.
The laws that had curbed civil and political liberties for a better part of three decades lapsed last Tuesday and the government did not present a fresh motion to renew them. Compounding things further the government, however, approved four regulations under the powerful Prevention of Terrorism Act that became effective immediately.
Despite facing international pressure to lift the state of emergency the authorities have ensured that the LTTE, or whatever is left of it, has virtually no room to manoeuvre. This, of course by virtue of association, also applies to the local Tamil populace. Clearly more empathy and flexibility towards the Tamils is needed.