The National Council of Tamil Canadians (NCCT) have called for the "immediate and unconditional release" of Tamil rapper Sangeethsan Ganeskumar and stated that his arrest was not an "isolated incident" but forms part of the "ongoing genocide" against the Tamil nation.
Last week, Sri Lankan police arrested Sangeethsan under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) after they alleged that he had edited videos of a performance at a temple festival in Navatkuli, Chavakachcheri, which they claimed glorified the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
In a statement, the NCCT highlighted Ganeskumar's arrest was not an isolated incident as Tamil writers, singers and artists have been facing surveillance, harassment and detention under the current Sri Lankan government.
Last month, a Tamil singer, Kokulan, was summoned by Sri Lankan police after they abruptly halted his performance over alleged "LTTE content".
Meanwhile, Tamil writer Theepachelvan Piratheepan's books were seized by Sri Lanka's Customs in March 2026, after officers claimed that the publications could threaten “national harmony” and national security.
The NCCT said that the PTA has been one of the "principal legal instruments" that has been used to criminalise Tamil identity, suppress Tamil political expression, silence Tamil advocacy, intimidate Tamil activists, deny Tamil people the right to remember and prevent Tamil people from seeking truth, justice and self-determination.
The organisation urged Canada and the international community to take "concrete steps" to secure the release of Sangeethsan and all other Tamil political prisoners held under the PTA as well as ensuring the immediate repeal of the PTA.
See the full statement here.
