  
Former Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris has raised serious concerns regarding proposed counter-terrorism legislation, warning that the legal framework would confer standard police powers directly onto the military.
Peiris, who served as foreign minister during the Rajapaksa administration, emphasized that granting military forces operational powers typically reserved for civilian law enforcement alters the conventional mandate of defense personnel. The transition of policing authorities, such as arrest and detention capabilities, into the hands of armed forces members marks a pivotal point of contention in the legislative debate surrounding the security bill.
Key Concerns Raised
- Expansion of Military Jurisdiction: The draft legislation provides legal mechanisms that confer civilian policing authorities onto armed forces personnel.
- Civilian Oversight: Critics caution against blurring institutional lines between standard civilian law enforcement and defense forces.
- Legislative Scrutiny: Heightened calls for detailed review regarding the reach and execution of statutory anti-terror measures.
The intervention by the former foreign minister reflects broader institutional scrutiny directed at national security enactments that seek to expand executive and defense mandates under anti-terror provisions.