Sri Lanka's CTID summons Tamil actor over film appearance

Sri Lanka's Counter Terrorism Investigation Department (CTID) has summoned Tamil actor over his appearance in the film Venthu Thanninthathu Vaadu.

The actor, Paramasivam Anton Newton, has been ordered to appear at the CTID office in Jaffna today for an inquiry into his appearance in a film that was released in 2022. The film, directed by Mathi Sutha and shot entirely on an iPhone, centres on the lives of an elderly mother, her three children and their lives trapped in a bunker during the height of the armed conflict.

This summons is the latest in a series of attempts by the Sri Lankan government to intimidate Tamils in the North-East over their involvement in documenting the armed conflict, organising and participating in commemorative events or asserting their rights.

Current Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake came to power promising a new era but for Tamils in the North-East, surveillance, repression and intimidation continues.

Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.

Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view