Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has urged the Sri Lankan government to end the ongoing harassment of Tamil photojournalist Kanapathipillai Kumanan, who has been targeted for documenting human rights violations in the Tamil homeland.
Kumanan is a Tamil photojournalist who has extensively documented political developments and human rights issues in the North-East. His work has focused on subjects such as the Sinhalisation of Tamil areas, enforced disappearances, militarisation, mass graves, and ongoing human rights violations in the region.
Kumanan’s work has drawn international attention, leading to repeated intimidation and violence from the state.
A Sri Lankan government representative at the United Nations committee claimed to have “reliable information” linking Kumanan’s work to “terrorist activities” and “financial crimes.” This was "clearly in reprisal for his work," said RSF.
In response to the Sri Lankan spokesperson’s claim linking Kumanan to terrorist activities, Célia Mercier, Head of RSF’s South Asia Desk, stated,
"This is an extremely serious attack on a reporter who has already been targeted on many occasions for his work. The new baseless accusations against this prominent journalist illustrate the authorities’ repeated attempts to silence critical voices and criminalise independent journalism in Sri Lanka’s Tamil regions. We call on the authorities to immediately cease these acts of intimidation and to guarantee Kanapathipillai Kumanan’s safety. There is an urgent need to end these repeated attacks on press freedom in Sri Lanka."
In 2019, Kumanan was physically and verbally assaulted by Sri Lankan state police for exposing their inaction regarding a court case that demanded the restoration of a Tamil name for a Lord Ganesh temple, which had been replaced with a Sinhala name, Anadevi Devalaya, by a Sinhala monk.
Tamil journalists across the North-East continue to face heavy surveillance, interrogations, and intimidation, particularly around memorial and protest events.