ITAK Parliamentary Group Leader and MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam raised Sri Lanka’s continued use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the recent arrest of Tamil rapper Ganeshkumar Sangeethsan — known as Hiphop Sangee — in talks with Charles Whiteley, Head of the South Asia Division (ASIAPAC) at the European External Action Service in Brussels, Newswire reported.
Shanakiyan handed over a letter from ITAK General Secretary M.A. Sumanthiran on the rapper’s detention, calling the case a serious concern for freedom of expression, democratic freedoms and human rights, and reiterated the long-standing demand for the PTA’s repeal. He said successive Sri Lankan governments had repeatedly promised to abolish the law but had not done so, and that the act continued to be applied disproportionately against members of the Tamil community.
The ITAK MP also drew a direct link between the PTA and Sri Lanka’s GSP+ trade concession, arguing that ongoing detentions under the act — including Hiphop Sangee’s — raise concerns about compliance with the international human-rights commitments that underpin GSP+ eligibility. Loss of GSP+ would expose Sri Lankan apparel and seafood exports to higher EU duties.
The meeting also covered the overdue Provincial Council elections, ongoing constitutional reform discussions, enforced disappearances, and the continued military occupation of lands in Tamil-majority areas. Shanakiyan said meaningful devolution and democratic representation remained essential to addressing the political aspirations of the Tamil people.
Hiphop Sangee’s arrest has drawn rapidly mounting international criticism. Brampton mayor Patrick Brown, Amnesty International and others condemned the PTA detention on June 10. The Salley accountability cluster — including a Court of Appeal adjournment to July 10 and the hunger-strike access dispute — has kept the PTA in the spotlight throughout June.
