President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka Saliya Pieris says the police should understand the right to freedom of expression as an important feature in a developed democracy, without dispersing peaceful protests.
In an interview with the BBC, the president’s counsel noted there was no legal barrier to holding protests in a public place like the Galle Face promenade in Colombo.
Authorities cannot decide as to who summons protestors to such events, he stressed in a dialogue on fundamental rights, law and democracy.
