International human rights organisation, Front Line Defenders, said they are "extremely concerned about continuing reprisals" against Tamil journalist and human rights defender Kanapathipillai Kumanan after he was recently intimidated by a Sri Lankan naval officer. 

Last week, Kanapathipillai Kumanan, had travelled to Vattuvakkal to cover the protest against the expansion of the Gotabaya naval camp, where a heavy security presence had gathered to intimidated demonstrating locals.

As Kumanan began taking photographs to report on the protest, a naval officer approached him and threatened him to stop taking photographs of the demonstration. Several Sri Lankan police officers also came up to the journalist and attempted to forcibly seize his official media card.

"There is a culture of impunity for attacks against activists in the North and East, and those who continue to work do so under extremely hostile conditions at great personal risk," Front Line Defenders said in their statement. 

"There is limited attention to the crimes against them and perpetrators are not held to account."

The international human rights organisation also highlighted that this was not the first time Kumanan had "faced reprisals" for his work. 

In 2020, Kumanan alongside another journalist, Shanmugam Thavaseelan were attacked with iron rods while reporting on a story on illegal logging timber smuggling.  

Front Line Defenders also note the that there are "daily reports of harassment of human rights defenders, peaceful protesters and journalists" on the island for their work. 

"Tamil and Muslim human rights defenders, especially those working in heavily militarised war affected areas are particularly vulnerable to reprisal," the organisation added. 

Media freedom has always been stifled on the island but since the return of the Rajapaksa regime in 2019, efforts to silence journalists and suppress their work have intensified. Sri Lanka has dropped 19 places in Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index and is now ranked 146th in the world. 

Earlier this year, UN High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet expressed her concerns over the survillance and intimidation faced by victim survivors, activists and civil society organisations, particularly in the North-East. In her report, she highlighted that the her office received several reports that victim groups continue to face harassment and intimidation from the authorities. 

Read Front Line Defender's full statement here.