Democratic Governance, Voluntary Associations and People’s Rights
August 17, 2014,
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Some months ago the Friday Forum issued a public statement that reflected on certain emerging trends in our country, and posed the question whether Sri Lanka is moving towards authoritarianism. Though circulated widely, this statement did not receive extensive publicity in the national newspapers. A recent letter issued "To all NGOs" by the Director/Registrar of an Institution known as the "National Secretariat for NGOs" located in the Ministry of Defence confirms our concerns that the government is on a dangerous path that will soon erode every basic norm of democratic governance.