Assassination of Kadirgamar:

A cowardly act of terrorism say university academics

THE Academics of the Universities of Sri Lanka, past and present, along with other intellectuals in the country, irrespective of ethnic origin, religion or party affiliation, who are committed to the peace process, strongly condemn the killing of Lakshman Kadirgamar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka.

It was a cowardly act of terrorism and a blatant threat to peace and democracy in the country at the current juncture of the peace process.

The last public act of Lakshman Kadirgamar on that day has been to launch the new journal of the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS), entitled International Affairs in a Globalizing World publish jointly with Sage Publishers, India.

Kadirgamar's was a life devoted to intellectual pursuits with a strong commitment to resolving disputes and conflicts within and outside the country through peaceful and diplomatic means.

While he was forthright in advocating what he believed to be correct, fair and just, he was a gentleman par excellence who pursued and practised moderation in politics and foreign affairs.

The cruel assassination of Kadirgamar has come in a long chain of killings and assassinations of people who were opposed to violence, brutality, fanaticism and bigotry, The cowardly assassins have cut short the life of another person who cherished democracy, human rights and ethnic harmony in Sri Lanka.

We reiterate that intimidation and assassination of those who are committed to peace and ethnic harmony will never lead to resolving the conflict in Sri Lanka.

We urge the Government of Sri Lanka to take all necessary measures with international cooperation to bring the perpetrators of the Kadirgamar killing to speedy justice. We strongly call upon the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka to respect the Ceasefire Agreement and desist from returning to war.

We call upon the United Nations and its Security Council to strongly codemn the assassination of Kadirgamar as a threat to security and peace in Sri Lanka, and to take appropriate measures to bring those who continue to perpetrate killings and other violations in the country to international justice, the academics said.