The INFORM Human Rights Documentation Center has released its December 2024 Suppression of Dissent Report, raising concerns over the growing repression of civil liberties, freedom of expression, and political activism in Sri Lanka. The report details state-led crackdowns on protests, media restrictions, and intensified surveillance on activists and civil society organizations.
According to the report, security forces used excessive force against demonstrators, including the violent suppression of school development officers protesting for permanent jobs, where four protesters were arrested, and police officers were injured. In the Northern Province, Tamil activists and families of the disappeared faced harassment and arrests for organizing commemorative events, with authorities citing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to justify their actions.
The repression of journalists and media freedom remains a significant concern, with Tamil journalist Murugaiyah Thamilselvan assaulted in Kilinochchi for reporting on drug trafficking and journalist S. Aslam questioned by the CID over a news article. Social media activists were also arrested over posts related to banned organizations, raising fears over digital surveillance and censorship.
The report highlights the government’s growing reliance on emergency laws and military deployment to maintain public order, including a new regulation requiring all NGOs to register with state authorities. INFORM warns that such measures aim to silence opposition voices and suppress grassroots activism.
Additionally, concerns over human rights violations against asylum seekers have intensified, with the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission denied access to inspect the detention of 115 Myanmar asylum seekers, including over 40 children.
The INFORM report calls for urgent local and international intervention to safeguard Sri Lanka’s democratic space and ensure the protection of human rights defenders, journalists, and activists.
🔗 Read the full report: www.inform.lk
