.png)
Tamil lawmakers have denounced Sri Lanka’s Counter Terrorism and Investigation Division (CTID) summoning of respected Tamil journalist and human rights defender Kanapathipillai Kumanan for questioning, labelling it a blatant attempt to intimidate and silence independent reporting.
Kumanan has been ordered to appear at the Alampil substation in Mullaitivu on 17 August 2025, with the summons reportedly linked to allegations that his social media posts “promote” the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Batticaloa District parliamentarian Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam condemned the action on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), describing Kumanan as “a respected and courageous journalist”.
“Summoning him like this under the pretext of a ‘terrorism’ investigation is nothing but an attempt to intimidate and silence him,” Rasamanickam wrote.
Jaffna District MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam also questioned the government’s rhetoric about ending racism against Tamils while allowing such incidents to continue.
“If so, I wonder why Tamil journalists keep getting harassed in this way under this govt’s watch?” he wrote. “@kumanan93 is being summoned for his social media posts that apparently ‘promote’ the LTTE as he has shared photos!”
This govt repeatedly asserts that all the previous govts were racist against the Tamil people and that they have brought such practices to an end. If so I wonder why Tamil journalists keep getting harassed in this way under this govt’s watch? @kumanan93 is being summoned for his… https://t.co/mhKoES4k0D
— Gajen Ponnambalam MP (@GGPonnambalam) August 7, 2025
Kumanan’s case has been described by critics as politically motivated and part of a broader, long-running pattern in which Tamil journalists are harassed, assaulted, and obstructed by the state security apparatus.
He is one of the most widely respected reporters covering Mullaitivu and the wider North-East, with years of work documenting military land grabs, environmental destruction, and human rights abuses. His reporting has frequently placed him in direct confrontation with Sri Lanka’s military and police.
Media freedom advocates say that the CTID summons reflects the deep-rooted militarisation of the North-East, where Tamils remain under heavy surveillance more than 16 years after the end of the armed conflict.
Kumanan is scheduled to appear before CTID investigators on 17 August.
