Sri Lanka’s Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) has summoned a senior Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) member for questioning over an old social media post, in yet another incident of authorities interrogating Tamil political activists.
Tharmalingam Suresh, National Organiser of the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF), Vice President of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), and a member of parliamentarian Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam’s official staff, appeared before the TID earlier today, where he was interrogated about a post he is alleged to have shared several years ago.
Condemning the move, Jaffna MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam denounced the questioning as part of a wider pattern of political harassment targeting Tamil activists who challenge the Sinhala Buddhist nationalist state narrative.
“Today the TID is questioning the Tamil National People’s Front’s National Organiser and one of the Vice Presidents of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) and a member of my MP’s official staff, Mr Tharmalingam Suresh, regarding a social media post that he is supposed to have loaded several years ago,” Ponnambalam said in a statement.
“Mr Suresh is one of many such Tamil political activists who are victimised due to holding political views that challenge the Sinhala Buddhist Nationalist narrative,” he added, condemning the continued persecution of Tamil political figures.
“So much for system change! The NPP is as rotten as its predecessors!” Ponnambalam continued, criticising the government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his National People’s Power (NPP) party, which came to power promising democratic reform and an end to political repression.
After 5 hours of questioning Suresh was released by the TID. “The entire line of questioning was based on the allegation that TNPF is involved in the regrouping of the LTTE as it involves itself in memorialization events,” said Ponnambalam.
The interrogation of Suresh comes amid ongoing surveillance and intimidation of Tamil activists and politicians in the North-East by Sri Lanka’s security apparatus.