Photo credits: FreemalCruze(C) 2016
Tamil journalist and human rights defender, Ramachandran Sanath, was summoned for interrogation by the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID). TID has refused to disclose the purpose of the inquiry.
Front Line defenders are concerned that his involvement in activism and journalism work is responsible for the ongoing harassment. The summon was delivered to the activist’s home in Kandy on April 1, requesting that he appear before the TID office in Nuwareliya (Central Province) on April 6, 2023.
Sanath is an independent Tamil journalist, human rights defender, and has advocated for the rights of Up-Country Tamils in Kandy, Sri Lanka. He has actively participated in protests and advocacy for land rights and fair wages for estate workers.
Up-Country Tamils, also referred to as “Indian-Original Tamils” or “Malayaga Tamils” arrived in Sri Lanka during the 1800s, recruited by the British to fulfill labor needs on plantations. The workers have continuously been subject to human rights violations including the deprivation of citizenship rights in 1948 and stripping of land ownership following the takeover of Regional Plantation Companies. In present-day, both plantation companies and the state have persecuted those protesting in favor of fair wages and land rights.
Sanath has served as an executive treasurer with the Sri Lanka Working Journalist Association and is currently an executive member. In the past, he has worked for a Tamil-language print newspaper, “Sudaroli,” and news website, “Malayaga Kuruvi.” He now works as a parliament correspondent for Uthayan, and as an international correspondent for Ethirole, an Australia-based Tamil news website.
In February 2021, the activist was subjected to harassment and surveillance following his participation in a wage rights protest. According to human rights organisation, Front Line Defenders, “[i]n March and May 2021, unidentified individuals claiming to be intelligence officers visited his family's homes inquiring about his whereabouts and activities. The human rights defender wrote to the Inspector General of Police on 25 May 2021, in response to the intimidation, but no action has been taken thus far.”
The summoning raises serious concerns as Sri Lanka’s anti-terror law has historically targeted Tamils and Muslims and comes amidst frequent reports of persecution of human rights activists and journalists on the island.
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