Sri Lanka, June 29 -- A renewed debate over custodial treatment and due process has emerged in Sri Lanka following the detention of former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director Major General Suresh Sallay (Retd.) under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Allegations raised by his family regarding his physical condition and treatment in custody, alongside the government's position that the detention is lawful, have prompted an inquiry by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL).

The controversy is further sharpened by the fact that the NPP/JVP government has repeatedly pledged, both before and after the elections, to repeal the PTA, a law it has long criticised. Critics, therefore, argue that continued reliance on the Act ...