The Sri Lankan military has come under international criticism for allegedly targeting a renowned Tamil journalist, who has consistently reported on long-standing human rights violations affecting people in the Northern and Eastern provinces.
Based on a complaint reportedly made by military intelligence, the Counter-Terrorism and Investigation Division (CTID) has summoned the prominent Tamil journalist, Kanapathipillai Kumaran, for questioning. The summons has sparked condemnation from international human rights and media organizations.
“We urge United Nations human rights mechanisms and member states to closely monitor the continued misuse of Sri Lanka’s anti-terrorism laws to suppress those speaking out about human rights violations, especially war-related crimes,” said a coalition of organizations demanding the withdrawal of the CTID summons issued against Kumaran.
According to the notice, Kumaran is required to appear at the CTID office in Alampil, Mullaitivu District, on August 17, 2025, for questioning.
The Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission stated that the CTID’s action stems from a complaint by military intelligence, which claims that social media posts reporting the daily suffering of the Tamil population in the North-East have “defamed the military.”
“The crux of the allegation is that a Tamil journalist and professional photographer working with war-affected communities in the North-East is accused of damaging the reputation of the Sri Lankan Army by reporting on protests and dissent, sharing such content on social media, and thereby attempting to incite conflict between the Army and the Tamil people,” Kumaran explained in a social media post.
He was made aware of the summons through a notification issued by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka.
Eight international organizations advocating for press freedom and human rights have called for an immediate end to the harassment of Kumaran. They believe the CTID summons is a retaliatory act for his reporting.
“Kumaran has been consistently covering human rights issues, including recent updates on the 41-day excavation of mass graves in Chemmani, Northern Province. He has reported that over 140 skeletal remains have been unearthed. His photographs and updates have been widely circulated by advocacy groups and media outlets,” the statement said.
“Since the bloody end of the war in May 2009, Kumaran has played a leading role in documenting the stories of communities seeking truth, justice, and reparations for enforced disappearances, military land grabs, environmental crimes, and wartime abuses.”
The organizations warned that this summons is part of a broader pattern of intimidation and retaliation against Kumaran, his family, other journalists, and human rights defenders in Sri Lanka.
“Kumaran has previously faced direct retaliation, including threats against his family in 2024, clearly aimed at silencing his work.”
Although the use of CTID and anti-terrorism units to target Tamil journalists is not new, the continued pattern has caused serious concern among international groups.
“Successive Sri Lankan governments have misused the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the counter-terrorism police to punish and obstruct journalists and human rights defenders who document and expose rights abuses. Tamil and Muslim activists in the North and East are particularly vulnerable to such reprisals,” the statement added.
The eight organizations are urging member states of the United Nations to adopt strong proposals at the upcoming Geneva session to ensure ongoing international scrutiny of Sri Lanka’s use of repressive laws like the PTA to silence dissent.
Signatories:
- Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
- Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
- CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
- Front Line Defenders (FLD)
- Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
- International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
- International Press Institute (IPI)
- Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
