3rd of October 2025
We, the undersigned, condemn Sri Lankan authorities’ continuing surveillance, harassment, and intimidation of Kumanan Kanapathipillai, a prominent Tamil photojournalist from Mullaithivu.
Kumanan has, for more than a decade, reported on and documented human rights violations committed by various actors in the Northern and Eastern Provinces (North-East); thereby playing a proactive role in the Tamil community’s post-war demands for human rights protection and accountability. His work includes documenting militarisation, crackdown on protests and memorialisations, repression of civil society, families of the disappeared, land appropriation, and broader Sinhala-Buddhisation of the North and East. He has moreover highlighted the plight and struggles of the families of the disappeared for years, and the Tamil community’s demands for justice for the atrocity crimes committed during the armed conflict.
The relentless harassment of Kumanan has been continuing for many years, prompting several international human rights organisations to classify him as a ‘journalist-at-risk’. In 2020, a group of men attacked Kumanan and another journalist while they were covering the illegal smuggling of trees. In 2024, Counter-Terrorism Investigation Division (CTID) visited Kumanan’s parents and interrogated his associates. The harassment reached a crescendo on 17 August 2025, when the CTID interrogated Kumanan for seven hours, framing his photojournalism as work ‘against the government’ and a ‘terrorist’ activity. On 26 September 2025, during the United Nations’ Committee on Enforced Disappearances’ review of Sri Lanka in Geneva, a government representative made a statement justifying their harassment of Kumanan by alluding to suspicions about his involvement in financial crimes and terrorism.
The ill-founded accusations and persistent harassment are an attempt to silence Kumanan, as well as to make an example of him as a warning to silence other Tamil-speaking journalists and activists in the heavily militarised and surveilled North-East. Even though Kumanan is not the only person in the recent past to experience inquiries and intimidation, the level of harassment that Kumanan faces, which goes beyond mere inquiry, is intended to remind other journalists of the existence of repressive structures. The psychological pressure and reprisals not only against them, but also their families and colleagues if they continue reporting on matters that challenge the official version of the truth, force journalists to self-censor.
The National People’s Power (NPP) government was elected on a promise to bring about ‘system change’ by charting a different course than previous governments, particularly with regard to the treatment of Tamils. Regrettably, the attempts to curtail the freedom of expression of Kumanan and other media personnel in recent times are no different to the approach adopted by past governments. This demonstrates the failure of the NPP government to adhere to its election promises, particularly with regard to dismantling and reforming repressive State structures, such as the security agencies that disregard and violate the rights of the people, especially those in the North-East. Tolerating dissent, respecting and protecting press freedom and broader freedom of speech are the hallmarks of a healthy democracy.
We would like to reiterate that the government is responsible for the actions of security agencies; it has the duty to subject them to civilian scrutiny and ensure they do not violate the rights of citizens in the guise of safeguarding national security. In order to accomplish this, the government would have to respect constitutional safeguards, the rule of law and due process. Kumanan’s treatment indicates to the public, and particularly the Tamil community, that it is business as usual for state structures which are repudiating ‘system change’. Such actions of state entities will undermine the credibility of the government and increase the mistrust of the Tamil community in state structures.
In light of the escalation of the intimidation and harassment of Kumanan, we call upon the Sri Lankan government to immediately cease the surveillance, harassment, and intimidation, stop weaponising the law to label journalists terrorists for practicising their profession, respect constitutionally protected rights and end the mis and disinformation campaign against them.
We urge the international community to impress upon the government the importance of taking on board and implementing the aforementioned requests, and pay increased attention to the human rights situation in the North-East, particularly the treatment of Tamil-speaking journalists and human rights activists.
Signatories
- Alagaiyah Alageswari – Member, ARED
- Ambika Satkunanathan
- Amalaraj Amalanayaki – President, ARED, Batticaloa
- Ammasi Rasalingam – Freelance Journalist
- Andrew Fidel Fernando- Journalist
- Anithra Varia
- Anu Piyasena – Activist and citizen journalist
- Anuratha Rajaretnam,
- Anushani Alagarajah
- Arasaretnam Panushkaran
- Arumugam Sornalingam
- B. Gowthaman
- B.Vasanthagowrey
- Channaka Jayasinghe
- Chanaka Karunarathne – Journalist
- Damith Chandimal
- Denver Mark- Independent Human Rights Activist
- Dharmasiri Lankapeli
- Dilrukshi Handunnetti, Trustee, SAWM SL
- Dr Chulani Kodikara
- Dr. Kaushalya Perera
- Dr. Kumaravadivel Guruparan
- Dr. Mario Gomez
- Dr. Sanjana Hattotuwa
- Dr. Wara Thiyagarajah
- Dulan Dissanayake- Attorney-at-law
- Ermiza Tegel
- Hana Ibrahim, Trustee, SAWM SL
- Hiranyada Dewasiri- Journalist
- Jayaraman Kobinath – Human Rights Activist
- Joanne Senn
- Juliyes Uthayasegram
- K. Aingkaran, Attorney-at-Law
- Kanagasabai Sarojinidevi: Vice Treasurer, ARED
- Kandumani Lavakusarasa – Convenor, North East Social Movement (NESM)
- Kanapathipillai Maheswari: Member, ARED
- Karththiha Suvendiranathan
- Kirushnasami Kalaivani: Vice President, ARED
- Konamalai Rasamani: Member, ARED
- Krishanth – Human Rights Activist
- Kulanthavel Sumithradevi: Treasurer, ARED
- Kumudini Samuel
- Leeladevi Anandarajah – General Secretary, ARED
- M. Krishnapillai: Member, ARED
- Maathumai Paranthaman
- Mahendran Thiruvarangan- University of Jaffna
- Maithreyi Rajasingham
- Marissa De Silva
- Mimi Alphonsus – Journalist
- N. Pushpathevi: Member, ARED
- Niresh Eliatamby – Senior Journalist
- Nimalka Fernando – Attorney-at-law
- P Muttulingam
- Paba Deshapriya
- Pamodi Waravita- Journalist
- Peter Rezel
- P.N. Singham
- Raisa Wickrematunge
- Rakulan Kandasamy
- Rasalingam – Human Rights Activist
- Rajan Thevaki – Secretary, ARED, Batticaloa
- Ramakirushnan Hibakaran
- Rekha Nilukshi Herath- Journalist
- Ruki Fernando
- S . Sunthareswaran
- Sabaraththinam Sivayoganathan – Human Rights Activist
- Sabra Zahid
- S. Rubatheesan – Independent Journalist
- Shanmugam Thavaseelan – Freelance Journalist
- Sandun Thudugala
- Saradha Devi – Human Rights Activist
- Sarah Arumugam – Attorney-at-Law
- Selvanayagam Kirishanth
- Sharmini Boyle, Trustee, SAWM SL
- Sharoth Asmathullah – Independent Consultant
- Souminy Ravichandran
- Srinagaruban Pathujan
- Stella Victor
- Sulochana Peiris- Documentary-maker, writer and researcher
- Sumathy Sivamohan
- Sujeevan Tharmaratnam – Activist, Sirakukal Amaiyam
- Suventhiran – Human Rights Activist
- Tehani Ariyaratne
- Thambirasa Selvarani – President, ARED
- Tharanga De Silva
- Tharindu Uduwaragedara – Journalist
- Thevasakayam Ranjana: Secretary, ARED
- Thisa Thiruchelvam
- Vanie Simon – Women’s Rights Activist
- Vinayagamoorthy Rubesh
- Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research
- Aham Humanitarian Resource Centre (AHRC), Trincomalee
- Amparai District Women’s Network
- Asia Lanka Social Development Cooperation (ALSDC)
- Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared, Ampara
- Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared, Batticaloa
- Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared, Jaffna
- Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared, Killinochchi
- Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared, Mannar
- Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared, Mullaithivu
- Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared, Trincomalee
- Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared, Vavuniya
- Association of War Affected Women
- Batticaloa District Aruvi Women’s Network
- Batti Press Club
- Child Vision Sri Lanka
- Civil AMAYAM
- Empowerment and Community Development Organisation
- Environment and Community Development Information Centre (ECDIC)
- Environmental Action Network
- Forum for Affected Families
- Human Elevation Organization
- International Centre for Ethnic Studies
- Jaffna Institute for Law and Policy
- Jaffna Islands Women’s Network
- Jaffna Vadamaradchi Media House
- Journalists for Rights
- Kilinochchi Press Club
- Law and Human Rights Centre
- Law and Society Trust
- Mannar Social and Economic Development Organisation
- Mullaitivu Press Club
- National Peace Council
- North East Social Movement (NESM)
- Parivartan
- People for Justice
- People’s Action
- People’s Collective for Climate Justice
- Right to Life
- South Asian Women in Media- Sri Lanka (SAWM)
- Tamil Civil Society Forum
- Thalam Organisation Trincomalee
- Transparency International Sri Lanka
- Trincomalee District Women’s Network
- UVA Shakthi Foundation
- Vali North Resource Centre
- Vavuniya Press Club
- Viluthu
- Women and Media Collective
- Women’s Action Network
- Women’s Life and Rights Association
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