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February 23, 2026 – India –
A protest rally was held in Point Pedro, Sri Lanka, on 23 February 2026, marking 19 years since the enforced disappearance of veteran Tamil journalist Subramaniam Ramachandran. Journalists, relatives of the missing, civil society representatives, religious leaders, and members of the public gathered to demand truth, accountability, and justice in a case that remains unresolved nearly two decades after he vanished.
Organised by the Vadamarachchi Media House and supported by concerned local groups, the demonstration took place at the Point Pedro central bus stand and drew dozens of participants who held banners, chanted slogans, and called on authorities to disclose relevant information about Ramachandran’s fate. Protesters said the lack of a credible official investigation and the years of silence from government institutions have deepened the pain of his family and contributed to broader frustration over impunity in cases involving journalists.
Ramachandran, a native of Karaveddy in Vadamarachchi, worked for Tamil newspapers including Yarl Thinakural and Valampuri, and was described as a committed reporter who covered sensitive issues in northern Sri Lanka. On 15 February 2007, he was stopped at a military checkpoint at Thunnalai Kalikai junction on his way home; eyewitnesses reported he was detained by Sri Lankan military personnel and later handed over to operatives from the pro-government Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), a paramilitary force aligned with state interests at the time. He has not been seen since that night, and his disappearance remains one of the island’s most poignant unresolved cases of enforced disappearance.
Demonstrators emphasised that Ramachandran’s case is emblematic of the many journalists and media workers who have been killed, abducted, or disappeared in Sri Lanka, especially in the northern and eastern regions where conflict and state security operations have historically constrained press freedom. They said ongoing attention to such cases is necessary to pressure authorities to provide answers and prevent future violations.
Speakers at the protest also noted the emotional toll that nearly two decades without closure has had on Ramachandran’s family. Both of his elderly parents pursued information about his fate for years, lodging complaints with state authorities — including the Paranagama Commission of Inquiry — before passing away without answers, protesters said.
As the Point Pedro gathering concluded, organisers reiterated calls for transparent, impartial investigations into enforced disappearances of journalists and pledged to keep public pressure alive until justice is served.
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