The Counter Terrorism and Investigation Division (CTID) has summoned internationally acclaimed Vanni journalist and human rights defender Kanapathipillai Kumanan for questioning.
According to an official notice, the Officer-in-Charge of the Mullaitivu Sub-Unit of the CTID has instructed Kumanan to appear before the Alampil Sub-Unit on 17 August 2025 at 10:00 a.m. to record a statement in connection with an ongoing investigation. However, the summons did not specify the nature of the investigation.
Kumanan’s recent work includes widely circulated photographs documenting the Chemmani and Kokkuthodvai mass grave excavations—issues that have drawn significant international attention, including from the United Nations Human Rights Commission.
Last October, while Kumanan was abroad attending an international course, officers from the Terrorism Investigation Division visited his home and allegedly accused his elderly father of providing information to the international community regarding incidents in the North, such as land grabbing and enforced disappearances.
Kumanan, who serves as Chairman of the Mullaitivu Media Association, has earned global recognition for his work exposing human rights violations, crimes, and corruption in the war-affected North through powerful photography and documentation. His photograph was featured in the report “Legacy of Enforced Disappearances Haunts Sri Lanka” published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on 21 May 2024.
Over the years, his images—focusing on the lives of war-affected Tamil communities and events such as the Goalpace struggle—have been published in major international outlets, including The Daily Telegraph, Vice World News, Evening Standard, The Guardian, Al Jazeera, BBC, and others.
Kumanan has long reported on the Vanni region, often covering sensitive stories involving the war-affected population. His work has made him a target for intimidation; three years ago, he and fellow journalist Shanmugam Thawaseela were brutally attacked after exposing a timber smuggling racket.
As with many acts of violence against journalists in the Vanni, justice in Kumanan’s case remains elusive.
