Sri Lankan police interrupted a protest in Mannar calling for the release of detained Tamil rapper Sangeethsan and the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), after questioning participants over the wording of a Tamil-language placard.
A demonstration demanding the repeal of Sri Lanka's PTA and the release of detained rapper Ganeshkumar Sangeethsan was held in Mannar on Thursday morning, June 11, as protests over the artist’s arrest continue to spread across the Tamil homeland.
The protest, organised by the Mannar branch of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), took place in front of the Mannar main bus stand at around 10am.
Hundreds of people joined the demonstration, including representatives of public and civil society organisations, the Mannar Citizens' Committee, the Association of Relatives of the Disappeared in Mannar District, political representatives, women's organisations and local residents.
Demonstrators said the arrests of Tamil youth under the PTA were continuing and argued that Sangeethsan’s detention reflected the ongoing use of the legislation to target Tamil political and cultural expression.
Protesters called for justice for the detained singer and demanded that the PTA be abolished. They also urged the release of all those who have been detained for extended periods under the law, including Sangeethsan, and called on Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake to take immediate action.
While the protest was being conducted peacefully, occupying Sri Lankan police officers in Mannar arrived at the site and briefly questioned participants over wording displayed on one of the placards.
According to organisers, the issue arose after police misunderstood a Tamil-language slogan calling on the government to repeal the PTA.
After the wording on the placard was translated and explained in Sinhala, police left the scene.
The protest subsequently continued peacefully.
Sangeethsan, widely known as HipHop Sangee, was arrested after Sri Lankan authorities alleged that songs he performed and shared online promoted the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). His detention has sparked criticism from Tamil political parties, lawyers, artists, civil society groups and international human rights organisations.
The Mannar protest follows similar demonstrations held in Vavuniya, Kilinochchi and Valvettithurai, where protesters condemned the criminalisation of Tamil artistic expression and called for Sangeethsan’s immediate release.
The case has renewed scrutiny of the PTA, a law long condemned by Tamil political representatives and human rights organisations for enabling prolonged detention and being used disproportionately against Tamils. Despite repeated pledges by successive Sri Lankan governments to repeal or replace the legislation, it remains in force and continues to be used against Tamil voices in the North-East.