I am deeply troubled by the arrest of Tamil rapper and musical artist Hiphop Sangee, and the seizure of Tamil writer Theepachelvan Piratheepan’s books, under Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act and broader state security apparatus.
These incidents represent a pattern in which the Sri Lanka government uses anti-terror legislation, surveillance, censorship, and state repression to silence Tamil political, artistic, and cultural expression.
Art, music, and literature are not threats. Art is how communities preserve memory, protect identity, and tell their stories in the face of erasure.
When Tamil artists, writers, musicians, and community voices are treated as security threats for expressing themselves, it raises concerns about freedom of expression, democratic rights, and the continued criminalization of Tamil identity and lived experience.
I denounce these actions by the government of Sri Lanka, and call for the release of Hiphop Sangee, and the return of Theepachelvan Piratheepan’s books.
I join members of the Tamil community and human rights advocates in calling for the protection of freedom of expression, due process, and the rights of Tamil artists and writers to create and share their work without fear of intimidation or criminalization.