More than 140 organisations and individuals have jointly condemned the continuing surveillance, harassment and intimidation of Tamil photojournalist Kumanan Kanapathipillai, calling on the Sri Lankan government to end its campaign of persecution against him and other Tamil- journalists in the North-East.
In a statement issued on 3 October 2025, the signatories accused Sri Lankan security agencies of targeting Kumanan for his reporting on human rights violations, militarisation, land appropriation and state repression in the North-East. The letter, addressed to Sri Lankan authorities, warns that the ongoing intimidation represents a “violation of fundamental rights” and undermines the country’s democratic principles.
“For more than a decade, Kumanan has documented militarisation, crackdowns on protests, and the struggles of families of the disappeared,” the statement said. “The persistent harassment he faces aims to silence him and serve as a warning to other Tamil-speaking journalists and activists.”
The statement detailed how harassment against Kumanan has intensified in recent years. In 2020, he and another journalist were assaulted while covering illegal logging. In 2024, Sri Lanka’s Counter-Terrorism Investigation Division (CTID) interrogated his family and associates. Most recently, on 17 August 2025, Kumanan was questioned for seven hours by the CTID, which labelled his journalism as “terrorist activity”. During Sri Lanka’s appearance before the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances in Geneva last month, a government representative attempted to justify the intimidation by making unsubstantiated allegations of terrorism and financial crimes.
The signatories — including journalists, lawyers, academics, civil society leaders and international organisations — warned that Kumanan’s treatment reflects a wider pattern of repression against Tamil media. “The psychological pressure and reprisals against journalists, their families and colleagues, force many to self-censor,” they said.
Criticising the National People’s Power (NPP) government, the statement noted that the regime was elected on promises of “system change” but has instead continued the same repressive tactics used by its predecessors. “The attempts to curtail the freedom of expression of Kumanan and other media personnel demonstrate the failure of the NPP government to adhere to its election promises,” it stated.
The groups urged the Sri Lankan government to immediately end all forms of surveillance and harassment, stop weaponising counter-terror laws against journalists, and uphold constitutional protections for freedom of expression. They also called on the international community to increase scrutiny of the human rights situation in the North-East, particularly the treatment of Tamil-speaking journalists and activists.
The statement concludes that Kumanan’s persecution shows “it is business as usual for state structures,” and warns that such actions will only deepen Tamil mistrust in the government and further erode Sri Lanka’s credibility on the international stage.
Read the full statement here.
