Special Web-Edition of 3rd Death Anniversary of Sri Lanka's former Foreign Minister, Hon Lakshman Kadirgamer (a well respected Sri Lankan Tamil Leader who fought against the Tamil Tiger Terrorism).
The international community should rise against terrorism, not only in USA, UK and other western countries, but also in Sri Lanka .........
Minister Kadirgamar was a distinguished product of Trinity College, Kandy, Sri Lanka where he was widely acclaimed for his all round excellence as scholar, prize winner. He won Trinity's richest Prize — the coveted Dr. Andreas Nell Memorial Prize for Ceylon History and the Napier Clavering Prize for English. He was the Editor of the College Magazine and captained the Cricket team. (His Vice Captain and Lion was his former Cabinet colleague and namesake Lakshman Jayakody and his team also had former Deputy Defence Minister T.B. Werapitiya). He was also a rugby colousman and athletics Lion. He culminated his trail blazing school career being appointed as the Senior Prefect in 1949 and winner of the much coveted Ryde Gold Medal for the best all round student in 1950. Mr. Kadirgamar was offered the captaincy of the Sri Lanka contingent to the 1956 Melbourne Olympics but he declined to accept it due to pressure of his law examinations. Mr. Kadirgamar read for his LLB degree at the University of Colombo and later proceeded to Balliol College, University of Oxford where he read for a degree in Letters. At Oxford he became the President of the Oxford Union and won the august seat of learning's Cricket Blue. Recently, he was honoured by the Oxford Union when the prestigious university unveiled his portrait. An all round sportsman, he also held the All India Hurdles Record both at Ahmedabad and Allahabad. The crowning glory of his legal career was when he was elected as an Honorary Bencher of Inner Temple, one of the four ancient Courts of Great Britain in its 496 year history, being only the second Asian to do so after former Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahaman in 1974. He was also a president’s counsel. Prior to taking to politics as a National List Member of Parliament in the People's Alliance Government of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in 1994, he headed a United Nations Intellectual Property Organisation as its Director where he was responsible for the drafting of legislation of nineteen governments'.
A list of atrocities committed by the LTTE on Tamils, whom the LTTE say have to be "liberated"(Read the atrocities from May 2002 to September 2003)
Govt. points finger at LTTE - Says Ceasefire Agreement with LTTE to continue - The Government last night blamed the Tiger guerrillas for assassinating Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar and rejected their claims of innocence. "Indications are that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is responsible," Cabinet Spokesman Nimal Siripala de Silva told a news conference. He said "the Government finds it difficult to accept the LTTE's denial." Earlier, guerrilla Political Wing leader S.P. Thamilselvan declared they were not involved in the assassination and claimed "there are several other forces opposed to the Ceasefire Agreement in the South." Police Chief Chandra Fernando backed Minister de Silva's claim that the LTTE was involved. He said from the weapons used for the killing, a 7.62 telescopic sniper gun and the grenade launcher found later, it is obvious the LTTE was behind the killing. He declared no other group has this kind of weapons. Despite Cabinet spokesman de Silva's claim last night, a statement issued earlier yesterday by President Chandrika Kumaratunga avoided any reference to the LTTE. She said Mr. Kadirgamar was "felled by political foes opposed to the peaceful transformation of conflict and who were determined to undermine attempts towards a negotiated political solution to the ethnic conflict." What was apparently a new Government position, charging the LTTE came, at a news conference chaired by Minister de Silva (Full report in Sunday Times).
Kadirgamar killing - CBK to weigh options but CFA stands - Friday night’s assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar at his private Bullers Lane residence by a suspected LTTE sniper has forced President Chandrika Kumaratunga to weigh her options but quitting the Oslo-arranged Cease-fire Agreement (CFA) is not among them, official and diplomatic sources said yesterday. Kadirgamar is the first politician felled by a sniper and only the second prominent sniper victim, the first being EPRLF heavyweight Robert assassinated in Jaffna. Authoritative government sources said that the government would not quit the over three-year-old agreement. According to the agreement (clause 4.4) it would remain in force until notice of termination is given by either party to Norwegian facilitators. But notice has to be given 14 days in advance of the effective date of termination. President Chandrika Kumaratunga has advised that the assassination would be raised with the Norwegian facilitators and the LTTE at the highest level but there would not be a return to war. A highly placed official acknowledged that the assassin had escaped. "He had ample time to escape," he said. At the time of the assassination there had been over a dozen army commandos with the minister, he said. Their first priority had been to rush Kadirgamar wounded in the head and the chest to the National Hospital, he said. By the time troops and police mounted road blocks the assassin could have moved to a safe house, most probably within the city (Full report in Sunday Island).
Security blunders lead to Foreign Minister's assassination - Several suspicious looking persons had been sighted loitering around the home of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar a few days before his assassination, but security officials did not act decisively to protect him, police sources said. A few weeks previously, two men had even been taken into custody while videotaping the Minister's Buller's Lane residence, but security officials still did not take action to protect him, sources said. The manner in which Kadirgamar was killed was a disgrace to any security operation. The Foreign Minister was shot by a gunman in a neighboring house with a high-powered specialized sniper rifle, presumably with an infra-red night vision telescopic sight. Incredibly, the gunman escaped from the scene. The use of a sniper rifle also clearly indicates that the killing was the work of the LTTE. The Tigers have not claimed responsibility, which is normal, since they never claim responsibility for any attack outside the main battlefields of the Northeast. Kadirgamar was supposed to be one of the most closely guarded persons in the country. Indeed, he was supposed to have more security than almost every other Minister. Only the President, Prime Minister, the Deputy Minister of Defence, and the three armed forces chiefs have more security (Full report in Sunday Island).
UNP notes Kadirgamar was under LTTE threat - In a statement issued yesterday on the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, the UNP said that he had as a politician made a valuable contribution to the nation at a crucial time and his loss cannot be replaced. The statement said that Kadirgamar had long been under LTTE threat and that unless those responsible for his killing are quickly identified, there will be a serious impact on the already fragile cease-fire agreement. Following is the full text of the statement. "The United National Party condemns in the strongest terms the assassination last night of Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, Minister of Foreign Affairs. "The perpetrators of this criminal act have not been identified as yet and the investigations are still on. It is necessary that the investigations be concluded speedily and the perpetrators brought to justice. "Security sources have already gone on record to the media that the LTTE is responsible for this killing. Mr. Kadirgamar has been long identified as being under LTTE threat. Unless the perpetrators are quickly identified it will have a serious impact on the already fragile Ceasefire Agreement. "The threat on Mr. Kadirgamar’s life has demanded the highest level of security for him since the mid-1990s. The UNP in its government of two years gave priority to accord protection to Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar even to the extent of declaring that any act affecting his physical security would be dealt with as a grave security lapse (Full report in Sunday Island).
Kadir’s killing puts peace process to serious test — Jan Petersen - The assassination of the Foreign Minister Kadirgamar is a gruesome deed, which is deeply tragic for Sri Lanka, says Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jan Petersen. "I condemn this killing of a significant politician and a respected representative for his country. I would like to express my condolences to his family, to the President of Sri Lanka, the Government and to the people. The killing puts the peace process in Sri Lanka to a serious test. It is now of great importance that both parties to the conflict do their utmost to fully fulfil their obligations according to the cease-fire agreement," he noted (Full report in Sunday Island).
EU commissioner calls assassination a ‘brutal terrorist act - The assassination of Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was a brutal and senseless terrorist act, the European Union’s foreign affairs commissioner said on Saturday. "This senseless murder robs Sri Lanka of a man of great stature and dignity who had dedicated himself to finding a peaceful and democratic solution to his country’s ills," Benita Ferrero-Waldner said in a statement. "This was truly a vicious terrorist act and its perpetrators must be brought to justice." Kadirgamar, 73, a Tamil and strident critic of Tamil Tiger rebels who for more than 30 years have fought for a separate Tamil state, was shot at his home in Colombo on Friday evening and died later in hospital (Full report in Sunday Island).
UN Secretary- General deplores senseless killing of Kadirgamar - United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Anan has deplored in the strongest terms the criminal and senseless killing of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. "The Secretary-General is shocked and saddened to learn that Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was shot and killed in Colombo. He deplores in the strongest of terms this criminal and senseless act and hopes that the perpetrators will be found and brought to justice", a statement said. He expresses his condolences to the family of the the late Minister and his sympathy with all Sri Lankans in this hour of sorrow. Sri Lanka has lost a deeply respected statesman dedicated to peace and national unity. The Secretary-General hopes that this tragedy will not weaken the commitment of the people of Sri Lanka to achieve a durable peace (Full report in Sunday Island).
Australia condemns Sri Lanka assassination - Australia Saturday condemned the assassination of Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, saying the "heinous act of terrorism" should not be allowed to derail the peace process. "Mr Kadirgamar was instrumental in bringing forward the peace process and in directing Sri Lanka’s foreign relations in the wake of the December 2004 tsunami," Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said in a statement. "He was a man of moderation who sought the path of peace and worked tirelessly for his country. This heinous act of terrorism must not be allowed to derail efforts to bring peace to Sri Lanka." Downer said he was "deeply saddened and disturbed" to learn of Kadirgamar’s death, describing him as an eminent statesman, collague and friend. "It is Australia’s strong hope that, despite this terrorist act, the Sri Lankan peace process will continue, including through early implementation of the Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS)," he said (Full report in Sunday Island).
Laskshman’s legacy - Although the government, up to the time of writing, has not gone on record accusing the LTTE of responsibility for Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar’s assassination, few if any Sri Lankans would ever believe that anybody else would have or could have done it. As one commentator had it, not even Prabhakaran’s mother would believe that. It remains to be seen whether this country can in this hour produce a voice as forceful and as eloquent as his to convey this message to the wider world which has for too long mollycoddled the terrorists garbed in the sheep’s clothing of freedom fighters. The spokesperson of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) said some hours after the shooting that the cease-fire was endangered. The Norwegian foreign minister has said as much. That is self-evident. But just as much as the wide masses are convinced that a Tiger sniper squeezed the trigger that extinguished the life of a man who was one of this country’s best and the brightest, they know equally well that going to war with the LTTE is not the way to react to Sri Lanka’s enormous loss. The big question that must now agitate everybody’s mind is: "Why should the LTTE do it?" We may even ask ourselves: "Why should the LTTE do something as stupid?" But then they are a group that assassinated Rajiv Gandhi in India although they would today like to place that deed behind them as Anton Balasingham has tried to do each time the uncomfortable question is posed to him on public occasions. The Tigers have not tried to deny that they killed Gandhi, a former prime minister of the country from where they long trained and based. In fact, it can truthfully be said that India created the monster although Sri Lanka and India herself, given today’s relationship between the two countries as well as their own enlightened self-interest, would deal with that matter in exactly the same way as the LTTE deals with the Rajiv Gandhi assassination (Full Editorial in Sunday Island).
Raid on hideout bares security lapse - Prolonged surveillance and the acquisition of a hideout outside his private residence at Bullers Road helped the assassins to accomplish their mission – the killing of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar on Friday night. If the incident bared a serious security lapse in his personal protection arrangements, The Sunday Times learnt that in the aftermath of the shooting matters turned out to be worse. For more than two hours, the Bullers Lane area remained open thus making it easy for the killers to get away. It was a team of Special Task Force personnel – the commando arm of the Police – who broke into the house opposite, said to belong to Lakshman Thalaiyasingham. When they entered, they first found two large bags meant for carrying cricket gear. They contained food items. One bag bore the name of a national cricketer. A dash upstairs and into a bedroom revealed a bigger secret – the hideout used by two suspected assassins to position a sniper rifle on a tripod. It was a bedroom. The upper part of a window had been carefully concealed with a piece of cardboard with a hole sufficient for the barrel of the rifle to be aimed towards Mr. Kadirgamar’s swimming pool. When Mr. Kadirgamar emerged from the pool on Friday night, they took aim through a night vision telescope and pumped three shots – one into the head, one to the chest and the third to the leg. According to eyewitnesses, the attackers thereafter fired a grenade launcher (or a tomba). Though three rounds were fired, none detonated. “Otherwise some members of Mr. Kadirgamar’s escort party would also have been hit,” he said (Full report in Sunday Times).
Massive manhunt for killer snipers - Government yesterday deployed over a thousand policemen and promulgated Section 5 of the Public Security Ordinance and introduced emergency regulations to empower special squads to hunt for, arrest and detain in the search for the assassins of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar on Friday night. The owner-occupant of the residence from which the assassins had shot Mr. Kadirgamar, Lakshman Thalayasingham, a 58-year-old former cricket captain of Royal College was taken in for questioning by the Police. The residence is situated down Bullers Cresent, Colombo 7 and is opposite Mr. Kadirgamar's private residence at Bullers Lane. The owner lives with his 42-year-old wife who is partially paralysed after suffering a stroke. According to investigators, the owner is denying knowledge of the fact that the assassins, believed to be numbering at least three men, were occupying the hitherto unoccupied upstairs of that house. The owner of the residence is the son of a former Police officer. The assassins are reported to have spent some time, maybe weeks, working out the logistics of bringing in arms to the residence. Detectives are trying to ascertain whether the owners were aware of their plans, or not. Once upstairs, they have removed three bars of a window and set up the long-range sniper gun on a tripod, covered by a piece of cardboard so that only the barrel of the gun protrudes slightly out of the window (Full report in Sunday Times).
Thank you, Kadir - A terrorist sniper's bullets felled a national hero on Friday night. The perpetrators of this assassination had every reason to silence Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar and everyone knew it. It was not just a long-standing grudge, but a calculated, cold-blooded move to remove from the political firmament a man who had a supreme commitment to a united Sri Lanka. Earlier in the day, a husband and wife working in the state media were gunned down for the same reason - to eliminate all opposition in the quest for a separate state in the north and east of this country. Despite all the song and dance in some quarters about the security given to the Foreign Minister, his private residence was guarded by just four policemen. It was a clear and shocking lapse of security to protect a known target - who had been warned by Military Intelligence that the LTTE had upped the ante in its campaign to destroy him. But there's no purpose in crying over spilled blood now. A man who went out on a limb for national unity has been eliminated. Probably not since the turn of the last century - when a minority member of Sri Lankan society, Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan spoke on behalf of the whole country - had a politician from a minority community been so respected by Sri Lankans of all walks of life (Full report in Sunday Times).
Envoy
warns of 'major changes' after Kadirgamar killing - Sri
Lanka's envoy to India Saturday warned of "major changes" in his
country following the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman
Kadirgamar by suspected Tamil Tiger guerrillas. Mangala Moonasinghe told
IANS just before flying to Colombo to attend Kadirgamar's funeral that
Friday night's killing was a loss not just to his country but to the
entire South Asian region. "It is a tragic loss not only for Sri
Lanka but for the whole region. After all he played a key role in building
bilateral ties. He was an international statesman. We all will feel
lost." Moonasinghe, a senior member of his country's ruling Sri Lanka
Freedom Party, hinted that the assassination of Kadirgamar would cast a
grave shadow on the ceasefire pact with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE). "There will be major changes in the situation. How we
are going to cope with this...There seem to be gun-toting people roaming
all over Colombo and Sri Lanka. We will have to see what steps the
government will take. How the situation will be tackled." The
envoy admitted that it would have been impossible to protect Kadirgamar
given the determination of the LTTE to cut him down. "He was very
well protected but all the protection can sometimes be penetrated by
people who work 24 hours to get to a target. All over the world people are
protected. But there can be one minute when you can be off guard and then
terrorists can strike." A sniper or probably two gunmen hiding
in a neighbouring house shot dead Kadirgamar Friday night at his private
residence in the heart of Colombo. The LTTE had a long time ago dubbed
Kadirgamar, a Tamil, a traitor to the cause of its Tamil Eelam goal (Full
report in IANS).
HON. FOREIGN MINISTER KADIRGAMAR SHOT AND KILLED - Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. LAKSHMAN KADIRGAMAR, one of the most illustrious sons of Sri Lanka was seriously wounded and killed after suspected sniper gunman directed fire at his residence from a distance outside his COLOMBO residence late Friday evening at about 10.30 p.m. Hon. Foreign Minister who has been very outspoken against LTTE terror tactics died in hospital after he was seriously wounded in his chest while he was inside his compound. For the last several years LTTE terrorist have been targeting the life of Mr. L. KADIRGAMAR because he was vehemently opposed to the division of this island nation. Following the shooting a massive security operation has been launched by the Police and Security Forces in and around COLOMBO with a view to arresting assassins. All residents in and around COLOMBO are kindly requested to remain indoor unless there is an urgent requirement until the security operation is over. Early this month two Tamils suspected to be from LTTE were arrested while they were gathering information on movements of the slain Hon. Foreign Minister. As this report was being filed Security Forces and the Police in COLOMBO have been placed on alert. Special Police teams have been rushed to the scene for investigations (Full report in Sri Lanka Army).
SPUR Media Release : Great Sri Lankan democratic leader Lakshman Kadirgamar, yet another victim of terrorism - Mr Lakshman Kadirgamar, 73, who was the foreign minister of Sri Lanka from 1994 to date with a break from 2001-2004, was shot dead by Tamil Tiger Terrorists in Colombo on 12th August. Mr Kadirgamar perhaps the most competent among the present Sri Lankan political leaders was a brave campaigner against terrorism and separatism. He made his voice felt at many international organizations and the media appealing to recognise the terrorist threat faced by Sri Lanka and her people. He was critical of the concessions granted to armed Tamil Tiger Terrorists and was suspicious of Norway led 'international' effort to twist the Sri Lankan government and Norway's over-stepping of their brief. Today, while we join the millions of Sri Lankans who value democracy and pluralism in paying tributes to this great leader, we request the Secretary General of the United Nations, the Leaders of India, China, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, the USA, the UK, the EU, Australia, Canada and all the other countries to: (Full Media Release in SPUR).
SLUNA Media Release : FAREWELL LAKSHMAN KADIRGAMAR - TRUE PATRIOT AND GREAT LEADER - We are deeply grieved by the sudden loss of Lakshman Kadirgamar, a truly patriotic national leader who served his country with foresight and acumen. We will remember him for his valiant stand against separatism and terrorism which has resulted in great loss of life and valuable property which the country has had to bear over the last two decades. We are indeed sad that a leader of his stature could not be protected from the bullets of a cowardly terrorist assasin. We call on the Sri Lankan authorities to leave no stone unturned in arresting not only the gunmen who fired the shots, but also those leaders of the terrorist movement directing the gunmen from their hiding places in the Vanni jungles. We lay part of the blame on the Norwegian peace facilitator that was always partial to the Tamil Tiger Terrorists, and who bolstered the blood thirsty tiger firstly with a lopsided Memorandum of Understanding which allowed the terrorists to spread out their killers and deadly weapons throughout the island, and thereafter showered them with gifts of transmission equipment, money and an unending supply of whitewashing paint to cover up their innumerable transgressions of the Ceasefire Accord including the forcible abduction and recruitment of children, killing of political opponents and members of Sri Lanka's security forces, and a whole slew of violations which clearly showed that their real intent was far from reaching a peacefully negotiated settlement. Canada and other leading members of the international community have been selective in the treatment of terrorists, leaving a wide gap between their pronouncements and their attitude and actions especially in the case of the LTTE, which has allowed these terrorists to openly operate offices, broadcasting centres and raise funds for their terrorist war in Sri Lanka. thereby exporting terrorism from the developed west to destabilise the tiny island nation (Full Media release in SPUR).
Sri Lanka arrests two after foreign min assassinated - Sri Lankan police have arrested two people in connection with the assassination of the island's foreign minister, police sources said on Saturday. Lakshman Kadirgamar died in the early hours of Saturday after being shot near his Colombo home, in an attack the police said they suspected was the work of Tamil Tiger rebels. "We took into custody two people from the nearby area," one police source said on condition of anonymity. There were no details of their identities (Full report in ABC News).
Kadirgamar's killing a major blow to Lanka peace - The Sri Lankan government suffered a huge blow with the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar who had campaigned for peace while maintaining a tough stance with Tamil rebels to end the two-decade minority ethnic conflict. Kadirgamar was shot dead by suspected Tamil rebels Friday midnight at his private residence in the capital, inflicting a major loss to President Chandrika Kumaratunga's government, which strongly depended on the foreign minister to bargain peace with Tamil rebels. Kadirgamar, Sri Lanka's foreign minister for 10 years, played a key role in promoting Sri Lanka's peace process while maintaining a tough stance that rebels should renounce violence and terrorism before reaching a final settlement to the conflict. The foreign minister was long a key target of the rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and was under topmost security, with more than 130 army commandos deployed to guard him. But a lone sniper infiltrated a house across the street from Kadirgamar's home and was able to shoot him in the head. Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva confirmed the death of Kadirgamar and said that doctors battled for more than an hour to save his life. Kadirgamar had attended a function earlier in the evening was driven to his private residence, where he was struck down. Police and armed forces carried out a major search operation overnight in the city, combing the area around the shooting scene as well as checking all vehicles leaving Colombo, but past dawn there were yet to be any suspects arrested. Police investigating the shooting said that the assassination had all the indications of Tamil rebel involvement, following suspicion that a minority Tamil had taken shelter in the house across the street. The sniper nest used by the gunman had been discovered (Full report in Indo Asian News).
Sri Lankan president declares state of emergency - Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga declared a state of emergency Saturday after Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated. The state of emergency was declared to ensure national security and "facilitate enhanced security measures and effective investigations of this act of wanton terror," said the presidential office. Kadirgamar was shot at around 11:15 p.m. local time Friday (1715 GMT) and passed away at 00:15 a.m. Saturday (1815 GMT Friday)in hospital. Security sources said a sniper shot at him while he was near the swimming pool of his private residence in the plush residential area of Cinnamon Gardens in the capital. A manhunt for the assassins of the foreign minister was immediately launched by the police. They carried out house to house searches at Buller's Lane, where his private residence is located. Sri Lankan Airforce helicopters hovered around the capital on an air surveillance mission. The police said two suspects believed to have executed the assassination from the bathroom of a nearby residence are being hunted. A tripod and two empty cartridges were found at the scene, according to security sources. Kadirgamar, a Tamil, was in the forefront of the Sri Lankan government's campaign for an international ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels. As a well known lawyer, Kadirgamar entered politics in 1994 and was immediately made the foreign minister. He held the post from 1994 to date, barring a short period between 2001 and 2003 (Full report in English East day).
Sri Lankan foreign minister assassinated - Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar, was assassinated overnight in an attack the police said they suspected was the work of Tamil Tiger rebels. "The Foreign Minister passed away," Justice Minister John Senevirathne told reporters. "It is a great loss." Government officials declined to comment on who was behind the shooting, but Inspector General of Police Chandra Fernando blamed it on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. "It's the Tigers," he told reporters early today. The Tigers were not immediately available for comment. Kadirgamar, an ethnic Tamil, was a top adviser to President Chandika Kumaratunga in Sri Lanka's protracted peace process with the Tigers. The Oxford-educated lawyer had traditionally taken a hard line on the Tigers, campaigning internationally against them and arguing against making concessions to them during the civil war. The shooting comes amid escalating tensions between the government and the rebels, who have repeatedly threatened to resume a two-decade civil war because of a rash of violence in the island's restive east that each side blames on the other (Full report in Sydney Morning Herald).
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister shot dead; Tigers shatter Colombo calm - Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, a hardliner in dealing with the island’s Tamil Tiger rebels, was assassinated late on Friday night, police said. An unidentified assailant shot him twice in the head, once in the throat and once in the body. Government officials declined to comment on who was to blame for the shooting but Inspector General of Police Chandra Fernando blamed it on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. “It’s the Tigers,” he told reporters. The Tigers were not immediately available for comment. ‘‘The Foreign Minister passed away,’’ Justice Minister John Senevirathne told reporters outside the National Hospital in Colombo. ‘‘He worked tirelessly for peace throughout his career. It is a great loss.’’ The killing of the 73-year-old Minister—an ethnic Tamil and a trusted aide of President Chandrika Kumaratunga—comes amid escalating tensions between the government and the LTTE (full report in New IndPress).
Sri Lankan foreign minister took hard line on rebels - Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, who was assassinated late on Friday, was a hardliner who helped outlaw the Tamil Tiger rebels and was long seen as a prime target for attack. Kadirgamar, 73, was an ethnic Tamil and a top adviser to President Chandrika Kumaratunga in a protracted effort to bring about a permanent peace with the Tigers, who have been fighting for a separate state in the north and east of the Indian Ocean island since 1983. He was thought to have been shot twice in the head, once in the throat and once in the body while in a car near his Colombo home, which was normally surrounded by high security. He died soon after in the National Hospital in Colombo. "The foreign minister passed away," Justice Minister John Senevirathne told reporters outside the hospital early on Saturday. "It is a great loss." Government officials declined to comment on who was to blame for the shooting, but Inspector General of Police Chandra Fernando said it was the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. "It's the Tigers," he told reporters. The Tigers, who have repeatedly warned that Sri Lanka is on the brink of a return to the island's two-decade civil war following a rash of attacks in the restive east which the rebels and the military each blame on the other, were not immediately available for comment (Full report in Reuters).
Farewell
Lakshman Kadirgamar – True
patriot and great leader - Arrest those terrorists’ leaders who from
their hiding place in Vanni directed the gunmen to shoot and killed
Lakshman Kadirgamar. This demand was made by Sri Lanka United National
Association of Canada. The statement specifically demands arresting not
only the gunmen who fired the shots at Lakshman Kadirgamar, but also those
leaders of the terrorists movement directing the gunmen from their hiding
place in Vanni.
Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Kadirgamar assassinated - Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, a hardliner against Tamil Tigers, has been killed by unidentified assailants here last night. After the assassination, which was quickly blamed on the rebels by the government, Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga declared a state of emergency.Kadirgamar, 73, was hit by several bullets in the head and chest as he returned to his tightly-guarded private residence in the heart of capital Colombo. The veteran minister was rushed to the National Hospital, where four neurosurgeons and cardiothoracic surgeons struggled for 70 minutes to save his life, hospital spokeswoman Pushpa Soysa said. The Oxford-educated Foreign Minister was shot between 10 pm and 11 pm and succumbed to his wounds at 12:15 am. Tamil Tiger rebels were the prime suspects in the assassination of Foreign Minister Kadirgamar, military spokesman Daya Ratnayake said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the killing. However, Kadirgamar, a Tamil Christian and native of Jaffna, had often publicly said that he was a potential target of the LTTE (Full Report in Outlook India).
Sri Lankan foreign minister assassinated - said they suspected was the work of Tamil Tiger rebels. "The foreign minister passed away," Justice Minister John Senevirathne told reporters. "It is a great loss." Government officials declined to comment on who was behind the shooting, but Inspector General of Police Chandra Fernando blamed it on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. "It's the Tigers," he told reporters. The Tigers were not immediately available for comment. Kadirgamar, an ethnic Tamil, was a top adviser to President Chandika Kumaratunga in Sri Lanka's protracted peace process with the Tigers. The Oxford-educated lawyer had traditionally taken a hard line on the Tigers, campaigning internationally against them and arguing against making concessions to them during the civil war. The shooting comes amid escalating tensions between the government and the rebels, who have repeatedly threatened to resume a two-decade civil war because of a rash of violence in the island's restive east that each side blames on the other (Full report in the AGE).
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister assassinated - Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was shot dead tonight. Kadirgamar, who had some 100 elite bodyguards to protect him, was returning to his private residence by car when a suspected sniper shot him on the head at Buller’s Road, Colombo. “He was rushed to the National Hospital,” hospital spokeswoman Pushpa Soysa said. “He died about 70 minutes after he was brought here. Doctors did all they could to try and revive him, but they failed.” Though it was not clear who was behind the fatal shooting, Kadirgamar, a Tamil Christian, had often publicly said that he was a potential target of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The minister, who had held the post between 1994 and 2001 also, had claimed credit for getting the separatist Tigers outlawed in several other countries, including in the US and Britain. Kadirgamar, born on April 12, 1932, was appointed Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka in April 2004 by Kumaratunga. He was a long-time supporter of Kumaratunga’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party. “I’ve been told that he has already passed away,” the government source said on condition of anonymity. Police sources said Kadirgamar was believed to have been shot twice in the head, once in the throat and once in the body. Mr Kadirgamar,73, a veteran politician and a close confidante of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, underwent emergency surgery in the National Hospital, where he was rushed to with head injuries. The Minister was shot at near his tightly-guarded home in the capital, according to the police (Full report in the Tribune).
Tamil minister a crusader against Tigers - SRI Lanka's Oxford-educated Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, who was assassinated overnight, was a member of the minority Tamil community and a vociferous opponent of the Tamil Tiger rebels. Kadirgamar, 73, had been Foreign Minister under President Chandrika Kumaratunga since 1994, with a break between 2001 and 2004. He claimed credit for getting the Tigers outlawed in several countries, including Britain and the United States. He was a native of Jaffna, the northern heartland of Tamil separatism, but was strongly opposed to the campaign for separation led by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The Minister was one of the most tightly guarded in the Sri Lankan cabinet after Kumaratunga, who lost her right eye in a rebel suicide bomb attack in December 1999. He was also a critic of the Norwegian-led peace process in Sri Lanka and had accused some of the peace brokers of over-stepping their brief. However, he maintained that Sri Lanka's drawn-out conflict must be resolved peacefully. In March this year, he told the Foreign Correspondents' Association that an early resumption of peace talks to end the three-decade conflict with Tamil Tiger rebels was "very much on the backburner". (Full report in Advertiser).
Sri Lankan foreign minister assassinated - Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar has been assassinated in an attack the police said they suspected was the work of Tamil Tiger rebels. "The foreign minister passed away," Justice Minister John Senevirathne told reporters. "It is a great loss." Government officials declined to comment on who was behind the shooting, but Inspector General of Police Chandra Fernando blamed it on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. "It's the Tigers," he told reporters. The Tigers were not immediately available for comment. Kadirgamar, an ethnic Tamil, was a top adviser to President Chandika Kumaratunga in Sri Lanka's protracted peace process with the Tigers. The Oxford-educated lawyer had traditionally taken a hard line on the Tigers, campaigning internationally against them and arguing against making concessions to them during the civil war (Full report in National Nine News).
Tamil minister a crusader against Tigers - SRI Lanka's Oxford-educated Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, who was assassinated overnight, was a member of the minority Tamil community and a vociferous opponent of the Tamil Tiger rebels. Kadirgamar, 73, had been Foreign Minister under President Chandrika Kumaratunga since 1994, with a break between 2001 and 2004. He claimed credit for getting the Tigers outlawed in several countries, including Britain and the United States. He was a native of Jaffna, the northern heartland of Tamil separatism, but was strongly opposed to the campaign for separation led by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The Minister was one of the most tightly guarded in the Sri Lankan cabinet after Kumaratunga, who lost her right eye in a rebel suicide bomb attack in December 1999 (Full report in The Australian)
Sri Lankan foreign minister assassinated - Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar has been assassinated in an attack the police said they suspected was the work of Tamil Tiger rebels. "The foreign minister passed away," Justice Minister John Senevirathne told reporters. "It is a great loss." Government officials declined to comment on who was behind the shooting, but Inspector General of Police Chandra Fernando blamed it on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. "It's the Tigers," he told reporters. The Tigers were not immediately available for comment. Kadirgamar, an ethnic Tamil, was a top adviser to President Chandika Kumaratunga in Sri Lanka's protracted peace process with the Tigers. The Oxford-educated lawyer had traditionally taken a hard line on the Tigers, campaigning internationally against them and arguing against making concessions to them during the civil war. The shooting comes amid escalating tensions between the government and the rebels, who have repeatedly threatened to resume a two-decade civil war because of a rash of violence in the island's restive east that each side blames on the other (Full report in Sydney Morning Herald).
Sri Lankan foreign minister assassinated - Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar has been assassinated in an attack the police said they suspected was the work of Tamil Tiger rebels. "The foreign minister passed away," Justice Minister John Senevirathne told reporters. "It is a great loss." Government officials declined to comment on who was behind the shooting, but Inspector General of Police Chandra Fernando blamed it on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. "It's the Tigers," he told reporters. The Tigers were not immediately available for comment. Kadirgamar, an ethnic Tamil, was a top adviser to President Chandika Kumaratunga in Sri Lanka's protracted peace process with the Tigers. The Oxford-educated lawyer had traditionally taken a hard line on the Tigers, campaigning internationally against them and arguing against making concessions to them during the civil war. The shooting comes amid escalating tensions between the government and the rebels, who have repeatedly threatened to resume a two-decade civil war because of a rash of violence in the island's restive east that each side blames on the other (Full report in NewsComAu).
Tamil minister a crusader against Tigers - SRI Lanka's Oxford-educated Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, who was assassinated overnight, was a member of the minority Tamil community and a vociferous opponent of the Tamil Tiger rebels. Kadirgamar, 73, had been Foreign Minister under President Chandrika Kumaratunga since 1994, with a break between 2001 and 2004. He claimed credit for getting the Tigers outlawed in several countries, including Britain and the United States. He was a native of Jaffna, the northern heartland of Tamil separatism, but was strongly opposed to the campaign for separation led by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The Minister was one of the most tightly guarded in the Sri Lankan cabinet after Kumaratunga, who lost her right eye in a rebel suicide bomb attack in December 1999. He was also a critic of the Norwegian-led peace process in Sri Lanka and had accused some of the peace brokers of over-stepping their brief. However, he maintained that Sri Lanka's drawn-out conflict must be resolved peacefully. In March this year, he told the Foreign Correspondents' Association that an early resumption of peace talks to end the three-decade conflict with Tamil Tiger rebels was "very much on the backburner". Even after Kumaratunga formally invited Norway to help bring the Tamil Tigers into peace negotiations, Kadirgamar remained suspicious of the separatists as well as the role of foreigners in trying to broker peace. Kadirgamar, a lawyer, was regarded a world authority on intellectual property law. He was the president of the Oxford Union in 1959 (Full report in Daily Telegraph).
Kadirgamar shot dead by LTTE sniper: Norway responsible for turning a blind eye to LTTE violations of Ceasefire Agreement - Asian Tribune is sad to announce the death of Sri Lanka’s foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar (73) around 12. 15 a.m.today. Police reports said that a sniper had taken aim and shot him twice – one in the head and the other in the chest -- from a Tamil house in the neighborhood. He was returning to his residence at Longden Place, Colombo around 10.30 p.m. after his regular swim when the bullets hit him. Police also found a tripod and spent bullets at the spot where the sniper had fired. He was rushed to the National Hospital where he died shortly after. Three days earlier Police had arrested two Tamil Tigers armed with videos filming the residence of Kadirgamar who was one of most heavily guarded Minister’s of President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s government. He had always maintained that he was high on the list of LTTE’s marked men. In targeting Kadirgamar the Tamil Tigers abandoned their usual technique of hitting their victims with suicide bombers. This is the first known instance where the Tamil Tigers had used a long range gun to assassinate a prominent opponent. Kadirgamar did not hide the fact that he was responsible for getting the Tamil Tigers banned internationally for committing acts of terror and violations of human rights. He was also a leading proponent of protecting the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. He was most critical of the Ceasefire Agreement signed by Ranil Wickremesinghe and Velupillai Prabhakaran with the blessings of Norway in Oslo. He argued that it was an agreement that sacrificed the national interests to a group of terrorists (Full report in Asian Tribune).
Sri Lankan foreign minister shot dead - Tension prevailed in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo early Saturday following the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar la te Friday. Kadirgamar was admitted to Colombo's national hospital with serious head injuries after he was shot at around 11:15 p.m. local time Friday (1715 GMT). He passed away at 00:15 a.m. Saturday (1815 GMT). The roar of helicopters is being heard in Colombo. Police said Sri Lankan armed forces have launched a helicopter search for assailants. All roads in Colombo 7 area, where Kadirgamar's highly guarded residence is located, remain blocked by the armed forces. Security sources said a sniper had shot at him while he was near the swimming pool of his private residence in the plush residential area of Cinnamon Gardens in the capital. Many shots have been fired at the residence, according to the policemen at the assassination site. Kadirgamar, a Tamil, was in the forefront of Sri Lankan government's campaign for an international ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels. As a well known lawyer, Kadirgamar entered politics in 1994 and was immediately made the foreign minister. He held the post from 1994 to date, barring a short period between 2001 and 2003. Kadirgamar figured high on the Tamil Tigers' hit list and was provided with elite commando security (Full report in China View).
Switzerland condemns assassination of Kadirgamar - Federal Department of Foreign Affairs expressed Saturday shock at the despicable assassination of Lakshman Kadirgamar, Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka. The DFA strongly condemned this crime, in a statement issued today, and offered its condolences to the authorities and the people of Sri Lanka. "It condemns this unjustifiable criminal act and offers its deepest sympathies to the families. The DFA hopes that those responsible for this killing will be found without delay and brought to justice," said the statement. The DFA expressed also wishes that the peace process in Sri Lanka to continue despite this act of crime. It exhorted the parties concerned to by all means avoid any escalation of tension and to respect the cease-fire. While the media relations office of the Sri Lankan Presidency said that the President Chandrika Kumaratunga condemned this act of terror that led to the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar late last night. While condemning this act of terror the President states that her Government will not be bowed by such heinous acts of violence and will spare no effort to bring the perpetrators of this dastardly act to justice. The Sri Lankan President said that Lakshman Kadirgamar was a national leader who combined intellectual vigor, political courage and personal integrity of the highest caliber. He was deeply committed to a political settlement that upholds pluralism and democracy within a united Sri Lanka. During the eleven year tenure of his leadership of Sri Lankan foreign policy, the nation achieved incomparable success in its international relations, which culminated in the LTTE being proscribed in many foreign countries (Full report in Kuwait News Agency).
Sri Lanka rejects LTTE's denial of Kadirgamar killing - Sri Lanka Saturday flatly rejected a denial by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of its hand in the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. "The government finds it difficult to accept the denial," Health Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva, who is also the government spokesman, told reporters here Saturday. De Silva said the killing was a clear violation of the ongoing ceasefire and "a grave setback to the peace process", reports Xinhua. The minister stressed that the government would maintain the status quo with regard to the ceasefire. Jayantha Dhanapala, the head of the government peace secretariat, said, "It was no doubt a grave setback. Restarting the process has been seriously undermined." Police chief Chandra Fernando said the late minister's residence surroundings had been under surveillance for sometime. Two suspects who had video filmed the surroundings had been arrested by the police two days ago, the police said. Fernando said Kadirgamar had told the police that all neighbours were trustworthy people and he had no reason to feel threatened. The police chief added that investigations have progressed smoothly and he was confident of progress (Full report in New Kerala).
Sri Lanka rejects LTTE's denial of Kadirgamar killing - Sri Lanka Saturday flatly rejected a denial by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of its hand in the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. "The government finds it difficult to accept the denial," Health Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva, who is also the government spokesman, told reporters here Saturday. De Silva said the killing was a clear violation of the ongoing ceasefire and "a grave setback to the peace process", reports Xinhua. The minister stressed that the government would maintain the status quo with regard to the ceasefire. Jayantha Dhanapala, the head of the government peace secretariat, said, "It was no doubt a grave setback. Restarting the process has been seriously undermined." Police chief Chandra Fernando said the late minister's residence surroundings had been under surveillance for sometime. Two suspects who had video filmed the surroundings had been arrested by the police two days ago, the police said. Fernando said Kadirgamar had told the police that all neighbours were trustworthy people and he had no reason to feel threatened. The police chief added that investigations have progressed smoothly and he was confident of progress (Full report in Web India).
Sri Lanka rejects LTTE's denial of Kadirgamar killing - Sri Lanka Saturday flatly rejected a denial by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of its hand in the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. "The government finds it difficult to accept the denial," Health Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva, who is also the government spokesman, told reporters here Saturday. De Silva said the killing was a clear violation of the ongoing ceasefire and "a grave setback to the peace process", reports Xinhua. The minister stressed that the government would maintain the status quo with regard to the ceasefire. Jayantha Dhanapala, the head of the government peace secretariat, said, "It was no doubt a grave setback. Restarting the process has been seriously undermined." Police chief Chandra Fernando said the late minister's residence surroundings had been under surveillance for sometime. Two suspects who had video filmed the surroundings had been arrested by the police two days ago, the police said. Fernando said Kadirgamar had told the police that all neighbours were trustworthy people and he had no reason to feel threatened. The police chief added that investigations have progressed smoothly and he was confident of progress (Full report in Indo_asian News).
Sri Lankan foreign minister assassinated - Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated yesterday in an attack the police said they suspected was the work of Tamil Tiger rebels. “The foreign minister passed away,” Justice Minister John Senevirathne told reporters. “It is a great loss.” Government officials declined to comment on who was behind the shooting, but Inspector-General of Police Chandra Fernando blamed it on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. “It’s the Tigers,” he told reporters early on Saturday. The Tigers were not immediately available for comment. Kadirgamar, an ethnic Tamil, was a top adviser to President Chandika Kumaratunga in Sri Lanka’s protracted peace process with the Tigers. The Oxford-educated lawyer had traditionally taken a hard line on the Tigers, campaigning internationally against them and arguing against making concessions to them during the civil war. The shooting comes amid escalating tensions between the government and the rebels, who have repeatedly threatened to resume a two-decade civil war because of a rash of violence in the island’s restive east that each side blames on the other. Kadirgamar, 73, was shot just before midnight yesterday and rushed to the National Hospital in Colombo. The hospital was sealed off as ministers arrived in the early hours of today to visit before leaving without comment. Police cordoned off roads around Kadirgamar’s house. Heavily armed police officers fanned out into the plush central Colombo neighbourhood, searching the area. Helicopters circled overhead. Police sources said two people had been arrested but refused to give further details. Kadirgamar’s killing came a day after the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) warned that the government’s refusal to hunt down and disarm renegades fighting a silent war with their cadres in the east of the island could rekindle a war that has already killed more than 64,000 people (Full report in Times of Oman).
SRI LANKAN FOREIGN MINISTER GUNNED DOWN, REBELS SUSPECTED - Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was shot and killed early Saturday morning in the capital of Colombo, a murder that could strain already tense relations between the government and separatist rebels in the north. "The foreign minister passed away," Justice Minister John Senevirathne told reporters outside the National Hospital in Colombo, according to Reuters. "He worked tirelessly for peace throughout his career. It is a great loss." Kadirgamar, a close confidant of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, died after being shot repeatedly, including twice in the head, according to police sources. Although police did not say who might have been behind the killing, media reports quickly centered on separatist Tamil Tigers. Local media reported that earlier this month two members of the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE) were arrested outside Kadirgamar's official residence -- about a kilometer away from where he was shot Friday -- after conducting surveillance and videotaping the area. Officials did not immediately confirm those reports. Police flooded the area immediately after the shooting, searching the diplomatic district of Colombo where Kadirgamar was shot, as helicopters circled overhead. The foreign minister, who was an ethnic Tamil, supported the government's long-held policy of not negotiating with the Tigers. Kadirgamar also helped lead an international campaign to have the LTTE listed as a terrorist organization (Full report in PBS online).
Sri Lankan foreign minister shot dead - Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was shot dead tonight. The 73-year-old veteran politician was pronounced dead by doctors in National Hospital, where he was taken after being shot in the head by an unidentified sniper.Four surgeons struggled to save his life for more than an hour, after the close confidante of President Chandrika Kumaratunga was shot near his high-security residence in Colombo. He had wounds in his head and stomach, the hospital source said. Kadirgamar, who has some 100 elite bodyguards to protect him, was returning to his private residence by car when a suspected sniper shot him on the head on Buller’s Road, Colombo. “He was immediately rushed to the National Hospital,” hospital spokeswoman Ms Pushpa Soysa said. “He died about 70 minutes after he was brought here. Doctors did all they could to try and revive him, but they failed.” Though it was not clear who was behind the fatal shooting, Kadirgamar, a Tamil Christian, had often publicly said that he was a potential target of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The minister, who held the post between 1994 and 2001 as well, had claimed credit for getting the separatist Tigers outlawed in several other countries, including in the USA and Britain.Kadirgamar, born on 12 April 1932, was appointed foreign minister of Sri Lanka in April 2004 by President Kumaratunga. He was a long-time supporter of the President’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (Full report in the Statesman).
Tamil minister a crusader against Tigers - SRI Lanka's Oxford-educated Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, who was assassinated overnight, was a member of the minority Tamil community and a vociferous opponent of the Tamil Tiger rebels. Kadirgamar, 73, had been Foreign Minister under President Chandrika Kumaratunga since 1994, with a break between 2001 and 2004. He claimed credit for getting the Tigers outlawed in several countries, including Britain and the United States. He was a native of Jaffna, the northern heartland of Tamil separatism, but was strongly opposed to the campaign for separation led by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The Minister was one of the most tightly guarded in the Sri Lankan cabinet after Kumaratunga, who lost her right eye in a rebel suicide bomb attack in December 1999. He was also a critic of the Norwegian-led peace process in Sri Lanka and had accused some of the peace brokers of over-stepping their brief. However, he maintained that Sri Lanka's drawn-out conflict must be resolved peacefully. In March this year, he told the Foreign Correspondents' Association that an early resumption of peace talks to end the three-decade conflict with Tamil Tiger rebels was "very much on the backburner". Even after Kumaratunga formally invited Norway to help bring the Tamil Tigers into peace negotiations, Kadirgamar remained suspicious of the separatists as well as the role of foreigners in trying to broker peace. Kadirgamar, a lawyer, was regarded a world authority on intellectual property law. He was the president of the Oxford Union in 1959 (full report in News Com.au).
Sri Lankan FM Shot Dead - Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was declared dead Saturday morning after being shot late Friday night near his private residence in Colombo. The 73-year-old Kadirgamar was shot in head near his tightly-guarded home in Colombo's posh residential area of Cinnamon Gardens Friday night. He was admitted to the hospital with serious head injuries after he was shot at around 11:15 p.m. local time Friday. He passed away at 00:15 a.m. Saturday. Security sources said a sniper had shot at him while he was near the swimming pool of his private residence in the plush residential area of Cinnamon Gardens in the capital. Kadirgamar, a Tamil, was in the forefront of Sri Lankan government's campaign for an international ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels. As a well known lawyer, Kadirgamar entered politics in 1994 and was immediately made the foreign minister. He held the post from 1994 to date, barring a short period between 2001 and 2003. Kadirgamar topped the hit list of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Kadirgamar was provided with enhanced personal security from crack commando units since he led a campaign resulting in an international ban on the Tamil Tigers (Full report CRI Online)..
Backgrounder: Sri Lankan FM Lakshman Kadirgamar - Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar died Saturday morning after being shot late Friday night. Lakshman Kadirgamar was born on April 12, 1932. As a well known lawyer, Kadirgamar entered politics in 1994 and was immediately made the foreign minister. He held the post from 1994 to date, barring a short period between 2001 and 2003. Kadirgamar is a Tamil and a Christian, an unusual combination in Sri Lanka dominated by Sinhalese Buddhists and Tamil Hindus. He was educated in Trinity College, Kandy, and obtained a Bachelor of Laws (Honor) Degree from the University of Ceylon in 1953. He also has a B.Lit. from Oxford University. Kadirgamar had practiced law at the Ceylon Bar and in London until 1974, when he became a consultant to the International Labor Organization in Geneva. Kadirgamar is a long-time supporter of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), now the ruling party of the country. He was foreign minister in the SLFP government led by Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike, mother of incumbent President Chandrika Kumaratunga. After the defeat of the SLFP government in 2001, Kadirgamar became special adviser on foreign affairs to President Kumaratunga. Despite being himself a Tamil, Kadirgamar strongly supported the government's policy of not negotiating with the Tamil Tigers insurgents in northern Sri Lanka. In 2003 Kadirgamar was a candidate for the position of secretary-general of the Commonwealth, but was defeated by Don McKinnon of New Zealand. Following the victory of the United People's Freedom Alliance in the April 2, 2004 Parliament elections, Kadirgamar became foreign minister again in the new cabinet. Kadirgamar was in the forefront of Sri Lankan government's campaign for an international ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels. As a result, he figured high on the Tamil Tigers' hit list and was provided with elite commando security (Full report in China View).
Sri Lankan foreign minister assassinated - Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated on Friday in an attack the police said they suspected was the work of Tamil Tiger rebels. "The foreign minister passed away," Justice Minister John Senevirathne told reporters. "It is a great loss." Government officials declined to comment on who was behind the shooting, but Inspector General of Police Chandra Fernando blamed it on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. "It's the Tigers," he told reporters early on Saturday. The Tigers were not immediately available for comment. Kadirgamar, an ethnic Tamil, was a top adviser to President Chandika Kumaratunga in Sri Lanka's protracted peace process with the Tigers. The Oxford-educated lawyer had traditionally taken a hard line on the Tigers, campaigning internationally against them and arguing against making concessions to them during the civil war. The shooting comes amid escalating tensions between the government and the rebels, who have repeatedly threatened to resume a two-decade civil war because of a rash of violence in the island's restive east that each side blames on the other. Kadirgamar, 73, was shot just before midnight on Friday and rushed to the National Hospital in Colombo. The hospital was sealed off as ministers arrived in the early hours of Saturday to visit before leaving without comment (Full report in Reuters).
Sri Lankan foreign minister shot dead - Unidentified gunmen shot and killed Sri Lankan foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar outside his residence in Colombo. Kadirgamar, 73, was taken to the National hospital, where all efforts by the surgeons to save him failed. The doctors pronounced him dead at around 12:15 IST. He was from Sri Lanka's Tamil Chirstian minority. Kadirgamar was a veteran politician and a close aide of President Chandrika Kumaratunga. President Kumaratunga rushed to the hospital on hearing the news and the military closed the road leading to the facility. Born on April 12,1932, he was appointed foreign minister in April 2004. He previously held the position from 1994 to 2001. Kadirgamar had often said that he was a potential target of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). He had also led an international campaign to ban the Tigers as a terrorist organization (Full report in Hindustan Times).