Two civil society organisations operating in the North-East have been summoned by Sri Lanka’s Terrorism Investigation Division (TID), in what activists warn is the latest move in an escalating pattern of surveillance and intimidation targeting Tamil civic space.
According to former Human Rights Commissioner Ambika Satkunanathan, one organisation based in Mullaitivu — a women-led group was ordered to appear before the TID for inquiry while another organisation in Kilinochchi has been instructed to report at a later date. The inquiries are reportedly focused on the work these groups are carrying out in their respective districts.
#PTA #PSTB #TID
— Ambika Satkunanathan (@ambikasat) February 22, 2026
Two civil society orgs (one a women’s org) in Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi have been summoned by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) to appear for inquiry today (22 march) and tomorrow (24 March) respectively. Inquiry is about the work they are doing.
The summoning of Tamil civil society groups by security forces is not new. For years, rights organisations, women’s collectives, families of the disappeared, and memorialisation groups across Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi have reported repeated visits, phone calls, and interrogations by intelligence officials.
The TID, a unit of the Sri Lanka Police tasked with investigating terrorism-related offences, has long been criticised by rights groups for its expansive use of powers under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Though the government has pledged reform of the PTA amid international scrutiny, activists say security agencies continue to rely on broad and opaque authority to monitor and question Tamil activists.
In Mullaitivu in particular, women-led organisations have been at the forefront of land rights advocacy, support for war-affected families, and campaigns by families of the disappeared. Many of these groups operate in a context of heavy military presence and sustained surveillance.
That one of the organisations summoned is a women’s organisation is especially concerning. Tamil women human rights defenders in the North-East have faced years of intimidation for their activism particularly those involved in protests demanding truth and accountability for enforced disappearances and wartime abuses.
Tamil women activists have been photographed at protests, visited at their homes by intelligence officers, and questioned about their funding and affiliations.International rights groups have repeatedly warned that such practices create a chilling effect, discouraging community organising and silencing dissent.
