Voices Silenced, Stories Unfinished: Standing with Journalists in Sri Lanka

Each time a journalist in Sri Lanka is threatened, disappeared or killed and no one is held to account, the space for truth shrinks and the foundations of democracy weaken. On 2 November, the world marks the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. This date is a reminder of the unfinished struggle to secure justice for those who dared to report the truth and of the urgent need to confront the culture of impunity that continues to endanger press freedom today. 

A Deadly History Across Communities

For decades, Sri Lanka has been one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), at least 19 journalists were killed between 1992 and 2025 because of their work, most of them in the North and East. This violence has cut across ethnic and religious lines, reflecting both the brutality of the civil war and the repression that followed. Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala journalists have faced intimidation, surveillance and violence for reporting the truth.

Tamil journalists have long faced high risks, particularly during the civil war, when reporting from conflict zones meant defying both state and non-state actors. Mylvaganam Nimalarajan, a BBC and Virakesari correspondent, was shot dead in Jaffna in October 2000 after exposing election violence. In January 2006, Sudar Oli journalist Subramaniyam Sugitharajah was murdered in Trincomalee after publishing photographs that contradicted the military’s version of the killing of five Tamil students. Neither case has led to a conviction.

Dharmeratnam Sivaram, known by his pen name Taraki, was one of Sri Lanka’s most respected Tamil journalists and political analysts. He was abducted on 28 April 2005 outside a police station in Colombo and later found dead in a high-security zone, in circumstances suggesting state involvement. His case remains one of the most emblematic examples of impunity. Two decades on, there has been no conviction. In 2024, Dissanayake’s government announced that Sivaram’s killing would be investigated, yet little visible progress has followed.

The threats have not ended with the war. In August 2025, photojournalist Kanapathipillai Kumanan was served a summons by the Counter Terrorism Investigation Department (CTID) of Sri Lanka Police to appear for an inquiry on 17 August 2025. This is believed to be due to Kumanan’s reporting on human rights issues, including his social media posts on the mass grave excavations in Chemmani. Over 140 organisations have condemned the continued harassment Kumanan has faced from the Sri Lankan state.

Muslim journalists too have faced harassment for challenging communal violence or advocating minority rights. In December 2021 a Muslim journalist, Saheer Ahmed, based in Ampara received a death threat from a police officer at the Akkaraipattu station. The officer threatened him with disappearance and death if he did not drop his complaints of human rights abuses made against the policeman.

From the early years of political violence to the post-war period, Sinhala journalists have also paid a heavy price for exposing corruption and state abuses. Richard de Zoysa, a respected journalist and human rights advocate, was abducted and killed in 1990, in a case widely believed to involve state security forces. His murder remains unsolved, setting an early precedent for impunity.

Nearly two decades later, Lasantha Wickrematunge, the editor of The Sunday Leader, was assassinated in January 2009 after years of fearless reporting on government corruption and human rights violations during the final phase of the war. His killing remains one of the most emblematic examples of impunity in modern Sri Lankan history.

The disappearance of Prageeth Eknaligoda, a political cartoonist and columnist who went missing in January 2010, further exposed the ongoing risks faced by journalists who challenge the state. His case has dragged on for over a decade, marked by intermittent progress but no convictions, despite repeated assurances from successive governments.

Despite promises of justice, inquiries into these crimes have repeatedly stalled. Evidence has disappeared, witnesses have been intimidated and political interference has obstructed accountability. The message to journalists is clear: those who expose powerful interests do so at a risk to their life.

The Cost of Silence

When crimes against journalists go unpunished, the damage extends far beyond the individuals targeted. Entire communities lose access to reliable information and independent scrutiny. A climate of fear discourages others from speaking out, particularly in Tamil and Muslim majority areas where militarisation and surveillance remain widespread.

A 2024 report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) noted that Sri Lanka’s media landscape continues to suffer from censorship and intimidation, particularly in the North and East. Journalists there face ongoing harassment by security forces and intelligence units, while legal and administrative measures are used to suppress dissenting voices. Many have fled abroad or abandoned the profession altogether.

The result is a profoundly unequal media environment where marginalised communities remain voiceless and critical reporting on human rights and corruption is muted or absent. Impunity does not only silence journalists; it silences entire sections of society.

What Must Change

To end this cycle of fear and silence, Sri Lanka must take decisive action. The government has pledged to reopen investigations into seven emblematic cases, including the murders of Lasantha Wickrematunge, Dharmeratnam Sivaram, Mylvaganam Nimalrajan and the disappearances of Prageeth Eknaligoda, as well as other major human rights violations such as the Trinco Five and ACF killings. These cases span the North and South, involve journalists, activists and civilians and in several instances include allegations of state involvement. While this renewed commitment under President Dissanayake’s government has been welcomed, past experience shows that pledges of justice must be matched by genuine political will and sustained progress.

All of these cases have seen initial investigations falter at different times for different reasons; political interference, missing evidence or threats to witnesses. Together they reveal the structural weaknesses of Sri Lanka’s justice system: the absence of independent prosecutorial oversight, limited investigative capacity and inadequate witness protection. Establishing the proposed Independent Public Prosecutor’s Office, now under review by a technical committee could be a vital step toward restoring confidence and ensuring accountability. Likewise, strengthening the Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses Act to guarantee real safety for those who come forward is essential.

Finally, the safety and freedom of all journalists must be safeguarded through legal reforms and public commitments to media independence. This includes repealing or amending restrictive laws such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which has been used to arbitrarily detain journalists and ensuring that national security and defamation laws cannot be misused to silence legitimate reporting.

A Shared Responsibility

On this International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, SLC honours the memory of those who were killed or disappeared for telling the truth. We stand in solidarity with their families, with colleagues who continue their work under threat and with every citizen who believes that peace cannot be built on silence.

Impunity for crimes against journalists has eroded trust across communities and corroded democracy. Justice for these journalists is not only about honouring their courage but about restoring the right of every Sri Lankan to live in a society where the truth can be spoken without fear.