LTTE Tamil Tigers Assassinate Minister D M Dissanayake; 12 people Injured; Another Person killed.

An Appeal to the Defence Secretary

• Open Letter to Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Defence Secretary, Government of Sri Lanka Colombo, Sri Lanka - By Asoka Weerasinghe, Canada (03 January 2008) Click here for the full letter.

• Open Letter to Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Defence Secretary - Flush out undesirables in Colombo - By Vajiragnana Warnakulasuriya, Melbourne, Australia (04 January 2008) - Click here for the full letter.

• A Plea from a Retired Tamil Public Servant living in Colombo, Sri Lanka (read details)

Assassination of Minister Dissanayaka is a further call for unity against terror - President Rajapaksa - The assassination of Minister D. M. Dassanayaka deserves the most vehement and unequivocal condemnation by all those who respect democracy, desire peace and value human life. His assassination in a claymore mine attack by the LTTE is yet another example of its continued commitment to terror and violence to achieve its separatist goals, and absolute contempt and disregard for human values and the policies and practices of democracy. This sad event is a further reminder of the need to redouble our efforts to rid our country of terrorism and the use of violence to achieve political ends. It also draws attention to the constant threats faced by all those who stand for the democratic way of life, from the forces of terror that have been strengthened for too long through the politics of appeasement. It is no accident that Minister Dasanayaka who was targeted in this cowardly attack was spearheading the work of rehabilitation and reconstruction in the Eastern Province, since its liberation from the clutches of the LTTE by the armed forces of our country. As State Minister for Nation Building, he made it his mission to restore normalcy to the lives of all of our people in the Eastern Province, irrespective of ethnicity or religion, who had been living under the oppressive yoke of the terrorist LTTE for nearly two decades. His assassination shows that such work on behalf of the people invites the hatred of the forces of violence and terror, and gives the lie to the LTTE's claim that it is the liberator of the Tamil people of Sri Lanka (full report in Sri Lanka Defence Ministry).

Minister D.M Dassanayake was assassinated by LTTE terrorists -  Non Cabinet Minster for Nation Building, D.M Dassanayke was assassinated by LTTE terrorists this morning (January 8). The Minster and five others were critically injured when LTTE terrorists exploded a roadside bomb targeting the Minister's vehicle around 10.35.a.m at Ja Ela. According to the police sources, the blast has taken place at a location close to the famous Rukmani Devi statue on the Negombo- Colombo main road. The terrorists have targeted the Minster's vehicle which was plying towards Colombo, the sources added. The Minster and 11 others were admitted to Teaching Hospital, Ragama following the incident. Hospital sources said that five of the wounded including the minister were in critical condition. Later, Minster D.M Dassanayake and a personal body guard succumbed to injuries at the Intensive Care Unit, hospital sources said. Two other critically injured were transferred to the National hospital at Colombo, Deputy Director of Ragama Teaching hospital Dr. Lalani Gurusinghe said speaking to defence.lk. She also said that among the wounded people undergoing treatment at the hospital, one has been taken to the operation theatre as his condition worsened. Rest of the victims are still being treated at the ICU, Dr. Lalani further added (Full report in Sri Lanka Defence Ministry).

Minister D.M Dassanayake and his body guard succumb to injuries - Ragama - According to latest information, death toll of the LTTE claymore bomb explosion at Ja-Ela this morning has risen to two as the personal body guard of the slain minister succumbed to injuries short while ago. Earlier, Non-cabinet Nation Building Minister, D.M Dassanayake, who received severe injuries succumbed to wounds around 12.25 p.m while being treated at the Intensive Care Unit at Ragama teaching hospital, sources said. Two of the five victims who were in critical condition have already been transferred to the national Hospital Colombo and A total of twelve including five civilians injured due to this explosion, hospital sources said. A claymore bomb has been triggered off targeting a VIP motorcade carrying a non-cabinet minister of Nation Building, D.M Dassanayake, at Ja-Ela around 10.35 this morning, January 08. The motorcade was plying towards Colombo along the Negombo - Colombo (A-3) main road when the explosion occurred near the Rukmani Devi junction, defence sources said (Full report in Sri Lanka Defence Ministry).