Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) leader Seeman has called for the immediate release of Tamil rapper Hip Hop Sangeeth, condemning his arrest under Sri Lanka's Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and questioning how a song could be treated as a security threat more than seventeen years after the end of the armed conflict.
In a statement issued on 5 June, Seeman said Sangeeth's music reflected the Tamil homeland, the history of the Tamil liberation struggle, those who lost their lives during the struggle, and Tamil culture.
The rapper, whose real name is Sangeethsan Ganeskumar, was arrested earlier this week and remanded under the PTA after Sri Lankan authorities alleged that material he shared on social media promoted the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
His detention has sparked criticism from Tamil political leaders, civil society organisations, artists and lawyers, with many arguing that the case represents a further attempt to criminalise Tamil cultural and artistic expression.
Questioning the rationale behind the arrest, Seeman noted that successive Sri Lankan governments have repeatedly claimed that the armed conflict ended in 2009 and that the LTTE was militarily defeated.
"If singing a song in a temple is considered deadly terrorism, how can Tamils live in peace under the Sri Lankan state?"
He further asked whether honouring the “valour of departed ancestors” or remembering their sacrifices could be considered terrorism.
Drawing comparisons with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Seeman questioned whether commemorating JVP leaders and members killed during past state crackdowns would similarly be regarded as terrorism.
Seeman also criticised the JVP-led government, questioning whether its actions were consistent with the ideals of communist and revolutionary figures it often associates itself with.
"Is this what Marx and Engels taught the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) government, which calls itself a communist government under Anura Kumara's leadership? Is this the path shown to them by Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, Lenin, and Ho Chi Minh?" he asked.
The NTK leader accused the current government of continuing the longstanding racist policies.
“No matter which government comes to power in Sri Lanka, it will not deviate even an atom from Sinhalese racist policy."
He further alleged that measures taken by the government that appeared to allow Tamil remembrance activities, including Maaveerar Naal commemorations, were merely superficial gestures.
Seeman also appealed directly to the international community, questioning whether the continued repression of Tamil political and cultural expression represented the peace that foreign governments had hoped to achieve when they backed the military defeat of the Tamil armed struggle.
Calling on the United Nations and international actors to recognise what he described as the "racist" and "monstrous" character of the Sri Lankan state, Seeman urged them to support the Tamil nation's struggle for liberation.
He also called on Tamil parliamentarians in Sri Lanka to publicly campaign for the artist's release.
"Tamil Members of Parliament in the Sri Lankan Parliament must raise their voices demanding the release of Thambi Sangeethsan"
The statement concluded with a forceful defence of remembrance, artistic freedom and cultural expression.
"There is no greater racist atrocity than preventing people from honouring their own ancestors.
There is no worse form of slavery than denying permission for arts, including songs, by labelling them as terrorism.
Therefore, I strongly demand that the Sri Lankan racist state immediately release Thambi Sangeethsan, who has been arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act."