Condemning surveillance, harassment, and intimidation of journalist Kumanan Kanapathipillai

Kumanan Kanapathipillai 

Following is a statement by a group of members of the civil society condemning the harassment of Kumanan Kanapathipillai by the authorities

We, the undersigned, condemn Sri Lankan authorities’ continuing surveillance, harassment, and intimidation of Kumanan Kanapathipillai, a prominent Tamil photojournalist from Mullaithivu.

Kumanan has, for more than a decade, reported on and documented human rights violations committed by various actors in the Northern and Eastern Provinces (North-East); thereby playing a proactive role in the Tamil community’s post-war demands for human rights protection and accountability. His work includes documenting militarisation, crackdown on protests and memorialisations, repression of civil society, families of the disappeared, land appropriation, and broader Sinhala-Buddhisation of the North and East. He has moreover highlighted the plight and struggles of the families of the disappeared for years, and the Tamil community’s demands for justice for the atrocity crimes committed during the armed conflict.

The relentless harassment of Kumanan has been continuing for many years, prompting several international human rights organisations to classify him as a ‘journalist-at-risk’. In 2020, a group of men attacked Kumanan and another journalist while they were covering the illegal smuggling of trees. In 2024, Counter-Terrorism Investigation Division (CTID) visited Kumanan’s parents and interrogated his associates. The harassment reached a crescendo on 17 August 2025, when the CTID interrogated Kumanan for seven hours, framing his photojournalism as work ‘against the government’ and a ‘terrorist’ activity. On 26 September 2025, during the United Nations’ Committee on Enforced Disappearances’ review of Sri Lanka in Geneva, a government representative made a statement justifying their harassment of Kumanan by alluding to suspicions about his involvement in financial crimes and terrorism.

The ill-founded accusations and persistent harassment are an attempt to silence Kumanan, as well as to make an example of him as a warning to silence other Tamil-speaking journalists and activists in the heavily militarised and surveilled North-East. Even though Kumanan is not the only person in the recent past to experience inquiries and intimidation, the level of harassment that Kumanan faces, which goes beyond mere inquiry, is intended to remind other journalists of the existence of repressive structures. The psychological pressure and reprisals not only against them, but also their families and colleagues if they continue reporting on matters that challenge the official version of the truth, force journalists to self-censor. 

The National People’s Power (NPP) Government was elected on a promise to bring about ‘system change’ by charting a different course than previous Governments, particularly with regard to the treatment of Tamils. Regrettably, the attempts to curtail the freedom of expression of Kumanan and other media personnel in recent times are no different to the approach adopted by past Governments. This demonstrates the failure of the NPP government to adhere to its election promises, particularly with regard to dismantling and reforming repressive State structures, such as the security agencies that disregard and violate the rights of the people, especially those in the North-East. Tolerating dissent, respecting and protecting press freedom and broader freedom of speech are the hallmarks of a healthy democracy. 

We would like to reiterate that the Government is responsible for the actions of security agencies; it has the duty to subject them to civilian scrutiny and ensure they do not violate the rights of citizens in the guise of safeguarding national security. In order to accomplish this, the Government would have to respect constitutional safeguards, the rule of law and due process. Kumanan’s treatment indicates to the public, and particularly the Tamil community, that it is business as usual for state structures which are repudiating ‘system change’. Such actions of state entities will undermine the credibility of the Government and increase the mistrust of the Tamil community in state structures.

In light of the escalation of the intimidation and harassment of Kumanan, we call upon the Sri Lankan Government to immediately cease the surveillance, harassment, and intimidation, stop weaponising the law to label journalists terrorists for practicing their profession, respect constitutionally protected rights and end the mis and disinformation campaign against them. 

We urge the international community to impress upon the Government the importance of taking on board and implementing the aforementioned requests, and pay increased attention to the human rights situation in the North-East, particularly the treatment of Tamil-speaking journalists and human rights activists. 

Signatories:

01.Alagaiyah Alageswari – Member, ARED

02.Ambika Satkunanathan

03.Amalaraj Amalanayaki – President, ARED, Batticaloa

04.Ammasi Rasalingam – Freelance Journalist

05.Andrew Fidel Fernando – Journalist

06.Anithra Varia

07.Anu Piyasena – Activist and citizen journalist

08.Anuratha Rajaretnam

09.Anushani Alagarajah

10.Arasaretnam Panushkaran

11.Arumugam Sornalingam

12.B. Gowthaman

13.B. Vasanthagowrey

14.Channaka Jayasinghe

15.Chanaka Karunarathne – Journalist

16.Damith Chandimal

17.Denver Mark – Independent Human Rights Activist

18.Dharmasiri Lankapeli

19.Dilrukshi Handunnetti, Trustee, SAWM SL

20.Dr. Chulani Kodikara

21.Dr. Kaushalya Perera

22.Dr. Kumaravadivel Guruparan

23.Dr. Mario Gomez

24.Dr. Sanjana Hattotuwa

25.Dr. Wara Thiyagarajah

26.Dulan Dissanayake – Attorney-at-law

27.Ermiza Tegel

28.Hana Ibrahim, Trustee, SAWM SL

29.Hiranyada Dewasiri – Journalist

30.Jayaraman Kobinath – Human Rights Activist

31.Joanne Senn

32.Juliyes Uthayasegram

33.K. Aingkaran, Attorney-at-Law

34.Kanagasabai Sarojinidevi: Vice Treasurer, ARED

35.Kandumani Lavakusarasa – Convenor, North East Social Movement (NESM)

36.Kanapathipillai Maheswari: Member, ARED

37.Karththiha Suvendiranathan

38.Kirushnasami Kalaivani: Vice President, ARED

39.Konamalai Rasamani: Member, ARED

40.Krishanth – Human Rights Activist

41.Kulanthavel Sumithradevi: Treasurer, ARED

42.Kumudini Samuel

43.Leeladevi Anandarajah – General Secretary, ARED

44.M. Krishnapillai: Member, ARED

45.Maathumai Paranthaman

46.Mahendran Thiruvarangan – University of Jaffna

47.Maithreyi Rajasingham

48.Marissa De Silva

49.Mimi Alphonsus – Journalist

50.N. Pushpathevi: Member, ARED

51.Niresh Eliatamby – Senior Journalist

52.Nimalka Fernando – Attorney-at-law

53.P. Muttulingam

54.Paba Deshapriya

55.Pamodi Waravita – Journalist

56.Peter Rezel

57.P.N. Singham

58.Raisa Wickrematunge

59.Rakulan Kandasamy

60.⁠Rasalingam – Human Rights Activist

61.Rajan Thevaki – Secretary, ARED, Batticaloa

62.Ramakirushnan Hibakaran

63.Rekha Nilukshi Herath – Journalist

64.Ruki Fernando

65.S. Sunthareswaran

66.Sabaraththinam Sivayoganathan – Human Rights Activist

67.Sabra Zahid

68.S. Rubatheesan – Independent Journalist

69.Shanmugam Thavaseelan – Freelance Journalist

70.Sandun Thudugala

71.Saradha Devi – Human Rights Activist

72.Sarah Arumugam – Attorney-at-Law

73.Selvanayagam Kirishanth

74.Sharmini Boyle, Trustee, SAWM SL

75.Sharoth Asmathullah – Independent Consultant

76.Souminy Ravichandran

77.Srinagaruban Pathujan

78.Stella Victor

79.Sulochana Peiris – Documentary-maker, writer and researcher

80.Sumathy Sivamohan

81.Sujeevan Tharmaratnam – Activist, Sirakukal Amaiyam

Contd. on page 14

82.Suventhiran – Human Rights Activist

83.Tehani Ariyaratne

84.Thambirasa Selvarani – President, ARED

85.Tharanga De Silva

86.Tharindu Uduwaragedara – Journalist

87.Thevasakayam Ranjana: Secretary, ARED

88.Thisa Thiruchelvam

89.Vanie Simon – Women’s Rights Activist

90.Vinayagamoorthy Rubesh

91.Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research

92.Aham Humanitarian Resource Centre (AHRC), Trincomalee

93.Amparai District Women’s Network

94.Asia Lanka Social Development Cooperation (ALSDC)

95.Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared, Ampara

96.Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared, Batticaloa

97.Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared, Jaffna

98.Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared, Killinochchi

99.Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared, Mannar

100.Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared, Mullaithivu

101.Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared, Trincomalee

102.Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared, Vavuniya

103.Association of War Affected Women

104.Batticaloa District Aruvi Women’s Network

105.Batti Press Club

106.Child Vision Sri Lanka

107.Civil AMAYAM

108.Empowerment and Community Development Organisation

109.Environment and Community Development Information Centre (ECDIC)

110.Environmental Action Network

111.Forum for Affected Families

112.Human Elevation Organization

113.International Centre for Ethnic Studies

114.Jaffna Institute for Law and Policy

115.Jaffna Islands Women’s Network

116.Jaffna Vadamaradchi Media House

117.Journalists for Rights

118.Kilinochchi Press Club

119.Law and Human Rights Centre

120.Law and Society Trust

121.Mannar Social and Economic Development Organisation

122.Mullaitivu Press Club

123.National Peace Council

124.North East Social Movement (NESM)

125.Parivartan

126.People for Justice

127.People’s Action

128.People’s Collective for Climate Justice

129.Right to Life

130.South Asian Women in Media- Sri Lanka (SAWM)

131.Tamil Civil Society Forum

132.Thalam Organisation Trincomalee

133.Transparency International Sri Lanka

134.Trincomalee District Women’s Network

135.UVA Shakthi Foundation

136.Vali North Resource Centre

137.Vavuniya Press Club

138.Viluthu

139.Women and Media Collective

140.Women’s Action Network

141.Women’s Life and Rights Association