A protest demanding the release of Tamil rapper Sangeethsan and condemning the use of Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) against Tamils was held in Kilinochchi on Saturday.
The demonstration, organised by the Kilinochchi District Civil Organisations, took place in front of the old Kachcheri building and drew the participation of a large number of youth.
Held under the theme “Let us unite to break the chains around our voices”, protesters called for the immediate release of Sangeethsan, better known as Hip Hop Sangeeth, and denounced the ethnic repression carried out against Tamils through the PTA.
Participants carried placards bearing slogans including, “Is singing terrorism? Release the homeland artist immediately!”, “Is it a crime to sing and write about the sufferings of Tamils?”, “Abolish the PTA, which is strangling democracy!”, “Stop state terrorism carried out in the name of law!”, and “Do Tamils not have the right to raise their voices? Where is democracy?”
The demonstrators also chanted slogans demanding the repeal of the PTA and expressing solidarity with the detained artist.
Among those who attended the protest were Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) parliamentarian Sivagnanam Sritharan, Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) former parliamentarian Selvarajah Kajendren, representatives of political parties, social activists, university students, relatives of the forcibly disappeared, and Tamil civil society activists.