Gaza Dissent: Sri Lanka Arrests

The provided article from wsws.org details concerns regarding the use of "terrorism" and "national security" charges by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)/National People's Power (NPP) government in Sri Lanka to suppress dissent against Israel's actions in Gaza. The article claims that individuals critical of Israel's military operations are being targeted with these serious accusations, effectively stifling free speech and discouraging public condemnation of the ongoing violence. The article focuses on the alleged suppression of political opponents and activists expressing solidarity with Palestine. The JVP/NPP government is accused of leveraging broadly defined laws related to terrorism and national security to silence voices that criticize Israeli policies and actions. It argues that this creates a chilling effect, hindering open discussion and debate about the Gaza conflict and Sri Lanka's stance on the matter. The article frames this as a concerning trend towards authoritarianism, where legitimate criticism is conflated with threats to national security to justify the suppression of dissent and limit freedom of expression. find the original article here: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/04/07/bprl-a07.html