The Sri Lankan government on Thursday asked Parliament to extend an emergency rule decree imposed after last week's assassination of the country's foreign minister by a suspected Tamil rebel sniper.
"There can be no room for murder, intimidation, extortion and child conscription and therefore we need to bring a strong legal framework in order to investigate these crimes," National Security Minister Ratnasiri Wickremenayake told members while presenting the bill.
The main opposition United National Party has said it will support the government's move to extend the emergency rule.
The emergency laws give broad power to the military-- which President Chandrika Kumaratunga controls-- to make arrests, interrogate suspects and search houses at will. It also bans public gatherings, given the president lawmaking powers and allowed media censorship.
However, none of those actions, except for the searches and arrests, were carried out since Friday when Foreign Minister Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was shot and killed.
The emergency order has barely affected daily life for the vast majority of Sri Lankans, who have seen two decades of violence.