Tuesday, 24th June 2014
by Sandun A. Jayasekara
"Legal provisions prohibiting hate speech are contained in the PTA but they are implemented only under special circumstances such as a civil war and terrorist threats"
The memo containing legal provisions to prohibit hate speech in the country will be submitted to the cabinet within the next two weeks, National Languages and Social Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara said yesterday. He told the Daily Mirror t hat t he cabinet subcommittee headed by Minister and UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha had approved t he proposals made by the National Languages and Social Integration Ministry.
Legal provisions prohibiting hate speech are contained in the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) but t hey are implemented only under special circumstances such as a civil war and terrorist threats. The latest Cabinet Memo seeks to incorporate in the Penal Code the legal provisions against hate speech so that they would be part of the common law to be used in preventing racial tension and civil unrest.
The minister said he would submit a memorandum seeking Cabinet consent to amend the Criminal Procedure Code to make it punishable under Section 15 of the Penal Code with imprisonment or a fine or both against any person, persons or organisations found guilty of delivering, creating, announcing, broadcasting, telecasting, printing or publishing hate speeches or similar utterances.
Media institutions – print, electronic or cyber links will be liable for censure in addition to a fine and a prison term or both if found guilty of hate campaigns among communities.
“My intention is to make hate speech or hate propaganda an offence and punishable under the law and impose a fine or prison sentence or both to those who violate the law. The impending amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code will cover not only the print media, radio stations and TV but the Facebook, SMS and websites,” t he minister said.
The proposal calls for the inclusion of the provisions contained in Section 2(l) (h) of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act No. 48 of 1979 as Section 291(c) in the Chapter XV of the Penal Code
The minister said the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Committee (LLRC) sets out the need to enact deterrent laws to preserve racial and religious coexistence and prevent hate speech against any ethnic or religious group.
He said he was encouraged by the utterances made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Badulla at the weekend that he would take strict action against hate speeches made by an individual or any organisation.
From : http://epaper.dailymirror.lk/epaper/viewer.aspx
