Activists, human rights organisations, and the current President himself before being elected argued that Sri Lanka needs to repeal the current draconian, and often misused Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). For example, any discourse on federalism in Sri Lanka is viewed by the wider public as means of ‘planning to split the country’. Under the proposed law, an over-eager official can construe advocating for federalism as an act of terrorism. During the thirty year internal armed conflict in Sri Lanka between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka, Tamils were racially profiled on suspicion of being members of the LTTE and subject to violations of their constitutional rights. Restrictions include barring moving outside the residence, travelling within Sri Lanka and travelling outside the normal route between the place of residence and place of employment.