Mr. Jayampathy Bulathsinhala, owner of the J and J Printing Press and one of the victims, is known to be a strong supporter of civil society initiatives against the civil war, the curtailment of freedom of expression, and attacks and intimidation on media persons. In the evening of September 7, 2010, Sarala Graphics, a printing press located at 43/43, Walauwatta Road, Nugegoda town, was raided by a Police team from the Special Investigations Unit located at the Mirihana police station. Authorities were looking for a poster of the President printed by the United National Party (UNP). The owner of the press and 7 workers present there, including one woman, were arrested. These posters which featured images of the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksha were a part of campaign against the controversial 18th amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka. Civil society groups in the country believe that the 18th amendment undermined checks and balances instilled in the Constitution. At about 3 a.m. on the 8th September, Police went to the house of the person who had brought the print order to Sarala Graphics, Jayampathy Bulathsinhala, on Kandewatta Road, Nugegoda. He was not at home. They arrested his wife, Kumudu Wijeyawardena (34), and her two younger brothers, Nimal (30) and Kelum Wijeyawardena (26), who were in the house at the time. The three of them were also asked for the posters. They said they knew nothing. They were taken to the Mirihana police station, and at about 9 a.m. were taken to the premises of the New Vidyadara Bookshop in Maradana, which is where the office of J and J printers, the name of Bulathsinhala's printing press, is located. The premises were searched. No posters were found. At about 1 p.m. Jayampathy Bulathsinhala went to the Mirihana Police Station and handed himself over to the Police. The wife of Mr. Bulathsinhala and her two brothers were later released and produced before the Magistrate, after Mr. Bulathsinhala reported to the police and was subsequently arrested. In the afternoon, UNP MPs, Mangala Samaraweera, Jayalath Jayawardena and Dayasiri Jayasekera,went to the Mirihana Police Station and informed the Police that Jayampathy had been executing a printing order for them and that they would take full responsibility for the poster. However, the Police asked them too to hand over the poster if they wanted Jayampathy to be released. Detention Orders under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) were subsequently issued on 9 persons. 1. Jayampathy Bulathsinhala, Sinhala, male, owner of J and J Printers; 2. Galagoda Ranjith Perera, 50, Sinhala, male, owner of Sarala Graphics; 3. Sirinatha Kumaradasa Jayasundera, 39, Sinhala, male, Manager of Sarala Graphics; 4. Narahenpitage Anushka Sandaruwan Costa, 22, Sinhala, male, Machine Minder, Sarala Graphics; 5. Narahenpitage Asanka Sandaruwan Costa, 26, Sinhala, male, Machine Minder, Sarala Graphics; 6. Adikarige Thilanka Chaturanga Perera, 18, Sinhala, male, Printers' Assistant, Sarala Graphics; 7. Lalinda Pradeep Alahapperuma, Sinhala, male, Machine Minder, Sarala Graphics; 8. Dorairaj, 45, Tamil, male, watcher, Sarala Graphics; 9. Ramaiah Rameshwary, wife of Dorairaj, 33, Tamil, female, office assistant, Sarala Graphics; All of the 12 persons arrested were charged under the sweeping powers of the Prevention of Terrorism Act of 1982. This is similar to other states use of such anti-terrorism laws that give vague definitions of "acts of terrorism", in order to stifle legitimate dissent of persons who criticise state policies and to restrict the work of human rights defenders. Mr. Jayampathy Bulathsinhala's arrest is a violation of his rights as such protected by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. By arresting and detaining the printing workers, police have also denied their right to work by continuing to detain them and preventing them to perform their jobs and earning their wages. Authorities have in effect punished them for doing their work which was only incidental to the political issue. However, the more insidious threat arising from these arrests is the violation of the right to freedom of expression. By arresting workers in the printing trade, Sri Lankan authorities are sending a message of indirect intimidation of the political opposition and the public. It must be stressed that these are persons arrested whose work was an essentially neutral desk. However, the work of printers is vital to the practice of the right to freedom of expression, since mass distribution of opinion and expression materials require the contribution of printing workers. By arresting persons related to printing, authorities are sending the message that printers ought to follow the wishes of state authorities on what to print or not. In reality, the responsibility of the contents of printed materials rests on those who contract the services of printers, in this case the United National Party (UNP). This responsibility over contents is fully protected within the right of freedom of expression and opinion, as long as it is within the bounds of democratic principles. UNP is a legitimate opposition party, and their act of criticism of the 18th amendment is a part of their duty as an opposition party in a democratic political arena. Indeed, there is a bigger cause for concern in this event since, the issue of the 18th amendment being criticised through the poster has been perceived as a threat to the check and balance system of the Sri Lankan government.