Chronology of LTTE terror- Part 75

From the Daily News Archives

When the euphoria of victory dies down, and together with it the media hype ceases, when the guns do not rattle and boom anymore and the sky, the land and the sea become calm and serene, when tranquillity reigns through it is natural to live in the present moment and forget the past. But one cannot live in the present without a past. Nor can one envision the future discarding the experience of the preceding events. Hence the Daily News is serialising the Chronicle of LTTE Terror taken from our own archives which would remind our readers how it all began. An awareness of the chronology of terror would help us prevent the recurrence of such terror and frustrate any attempts by misguided elements to repeat history to suit their evil designs. It was not simple terror. Nor was terror sporadic. It was all pre-planned, pre-determined, well-calculated terror. The victims were innocent people. Though it is too many innumerate we would like to recall the major episodes in the Chronology of Terror.

Wednesday January 2, 2008:

Maheshwaran killing: Gunman arrested

Rasika SOMARATHNA

Police took into custody the gunman who allegedly shot dead UNP Parliamentarian T. Maheshwaran after he was wounded in the retaliatory fire of the MP’s bodyguards at the Sivam Kovil, Kotahena last morning.

The suspect identified as a resident of Gurunagar in Jaffna is held under tight security at the Colombo National hospital, sources said.

A former Minister in the UNP Government, Maheshwaran was shot at by an unknown gunman at the Sivam Kovil around 10 a.m. He later succumbed to his injuries at the Intensive Care Unit of the Colombo National Hospital.

One of his bodyguards too died in the shooting while 10 others including four women and a child were injured.

Maheshwaran was attending customary new year religious rites at the Kovil when the assassins made their move.

A Defence Ministry official told the Daily News yesterday that the slain MP had been provided with security in accordance with the number of Security Personnel allocated for an MP from outside the North and East.

Only two Security Personnel are allocated for MPs outside the North and East and five Security Personnel are allocated for MPs from the North and East.

Maheshwaran was an MP representing the Colombo district.

The MP has been provided with additional security during his visits to Jaffna. But he has not made any request for additional security while he was in Colombo, the official added.

“The Defence Ministry was not aware of any threat to his life while he is in Colombo neither he had made any such request”, the official added.

The Defence Ministry official also pointed out that apart from this threat assessment, MPs have also been provided with additional security on their personal request from the President.

MPs like Vajira Abeywardena, John Amaratunga have been provided with additional security in accordance with the requests they have made to the President.

“Even the two Police Constables providing security to Maheshwaran have fired at the gunman who had shot at the MP when he was coming out of the Hindu Temple”, the official added.

Director of the Colombo National Hospital (Emergency Unit) Dr. Anil Jasinghe told the Daily News that Maheshwaran who was admitted with severe gunshot injuries to his chest had died a short while after being admitted.

According to Dr. Jasinghe two of the injured were in a critical condition with severe gun shot injuries.

Born in 1966, Maheshwaran first entered Parliament by contesting the Jaffna District from the UNP at the 2000 General Election.

He was made Minister of Hindu Affairs after being elected once again at the 2001 poll. At the 2004 elections he contested from the Colombo District and was re-elected.

At the time of his death he was a member of UNP’s Executive Committee and was also the district organizer for UNP in Jaffna. Maheshwaran was a vociferous speaker in Parliament and spoke in both Sinhala and Tamil.

The Police have launched an extensive investigation into the killing and are looking into how a pistol alleged to be the murder weapon was found in the Kovil premises.

They are also looking into the motive with several angles being probed considering that the slain MP was also a prominent businessman.

Two parliamentarians assassinated

Wijitha NAKKAWITA

The year 2008 the penultimate year of the defeat of the LTTE started with the assassination of two parliamentarians, one a Deputy Minister of the Government the other a vociferous and controversial opposition member who represented the Jaffna District contesting as a UNP candidate. It was known that the UNP parliamentarian was threatened by the LTTE for joining the UNP to contest the Jaffna electorate but since he was a courageous man who in and out of Parliament did not hesitate to agitate for his people and criticize the Government or its Ministers whenever there was an important debate in the House.

Maheswaran was also a businessman engaged in transportation of goods by ship to the North and lived at Wellawatte but the LTTE had warned him that his presence was not needed in Jaffna. Still he sought to carry on his political activities through his many supporters and contacts in the North and became highly critical of the Government even while the military operations against the terrorist group were escalated by the Armed Forces in the North and East.

Therefore when Maheswaran was killed at the Sivam Kovil, Kotahena on January when he had gone to the kovil for worship in the precincts of the temple it was another example of terror unleashed even in places of worship like the murder of Jaffna Mayor Alfred Duraiappah over two decades before Maheswaran was gunned down as Alfred too was coming out of a Hindu temple after worship with his little daughter when he was gunned down. Both had joined one of the two main national political parties the SLFP and UNP and the LTTE message was clear that people of the North or East should not join the national political parties.

Minister D. M. Dassanayaka

The month of January was barely one week old when the LTTE again assassinated the Deputy Minister D.M. Dassanayaka on his way to Colombo from his electorate Aanamaduwa. In this incident a claymore mine was set off on Negombo Road, Ja-Ela in his official vehicle killing him in one hour’s time from the time of the blast and his secretary too was killed.

Dassanayaka too was a controversial but very popular political figure of the Puttalam District and during the aftermath of the tsunami he had gone to the Eastern province to help the affected people of the province and had worked very hard to provide relief to the affected communities of the East. At home he was one of the most accessible politicians whose doors were open to the public even during late hours or holidays. It was not very clear why the terrorists had targeted Dassanayaka but it was also the same road that a more important Government Minister Jeyraj Fernandopulle took daily to his Ministry. Therefore some people believed that the claymore mine was intended to for Fernandopulle who was expected to attend Parliament on the day.

Thursday, January 3, 2008:

Maheshwaran killing:

Eight suspects arrested

Ranil WIJAYAPALA

The Colombo Crime Division probing into the assassination of Colombo district UNP MP T. Maheshwaran has so far arrested eight suspects, Police Media Spokesman DIG M.K. Ilangakoon told the Daily News yesterday.

The investigating teams also recorded a statement from the alleged gunman who had shot at the MP at the Hindu Kovil now undergoing treatment at the National Hospital, Colombo. The gunman sustained injuries in his head in the returning fire from the Police Officer providing security for the MP and was later identified by the PC at the National Hospital as he was undergoing treatment there.

One civilian was killed and 10 civilians were injured in the crossfire.

The revolver suspected to be used by the gunman was also found inside the Kovil premises immediately after the incident. It was confirmed that it was a micro pistol commonly used by the LTTE pistol group.

“Vital details relating to the incident was divulged by the suspected gunman in his statement given to the Police,” DIG Ilangakoon added, declining to give details.

“It was fairly a lengthy statement as he was questioned from yesterday morning to evening,” the DIG added.

According to initial investigations the alleged gunman, a resident of Jaffna has been living in Wattala area for a few years.

“Police commenced questioning the other suspects arrested on Wednesday,” the spokesman added.

The funeral of slain MP T. Maheshwaran will take place this evening at the Hindu section of the Borella cemetery. His remains are now lying at his residence in Wellawatta.

Wednesday January 2, 2008:

President condemns killing, orders full probe

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday condemned the assassination of Parliamentarian T. Maheshwaran and ordered authorities to conduct an immediate probe.

According to the President’s instruction the IGP has launched a full probe and the CID has already commenced investigations.

Despite political differences Maheshwaran was a close friend both in and outside Parliament, the President said, adding the slain MP was a person who never hesitated to consult him whenever there was an issue regarding the community he represented. Thus the tragic demise of Maheshwaran, a person who never hesitated to voice his opinion is an irreparable loss to all, the President pointed out.

MP Maheshwaran, a politician cum businessman rendered a yeoman service to the Tamil community, the President said and recalled an incident where the MP had taken him in a procession for two kilometres to open a hermitage in Jaffna, while the President was the Opposition Leader. If any organization or force tries to suppress democracy by silencing opposing voices then it should be condemned and opposed by all, the President noted.

The President condoled with the bereaved family and relatives.

Wednesday January 2, 2008:

Breakthrough imminent - Minister Rambukwella

Ranil WIJAYAPALA

Government Defence Affairs spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella yesterday expressed confidence that the Police will be able to have an immediate breakthrough in the Maheshwaran assassination with the arrest of the suspected gunman involved in the shootout.

“It is very imminent that we will be able to see the bottom line of it soon,” Minister Rambukwella said yesterday.

The Minister pointed out that the micro pistol recovered from the scene is commonly used by the LTTE pistol group.

Initial investigations have revealed that the suspect was a resident of Jaffna and a temporary resident of Wattala area for the past few years.

Minister Rambukwella asserted that it was due to the retaliation of the Security personnel providing security for Maheshwaran that the suspect was injured.

Minister Rambukwella rejected allegations that the Government has reduced the security provided to Maheshwaran. He said Maheshwaran had received threats to his life from time to time and his threat was high when he was in Jaffna. “The security provided to him in Jaffna was high compared to the number of Security Personnel provided to him in Colombo according to the threat assessment,” he added.

He said Maheshwaran has been advised by the security authorities not to follow a routine.

“The routine activities of Minister Kadirgamar was the prime reason behind his assassination,” the Minister added.

The Minister said that there is no connection with the number of Security Personnel provided as the life of President R. Premadasa could not be saved even after he was provided with 600 elite special Security Personnel. “Minister Kadirgamar was assassinated when he was provided a 120 strong security squad,” the Minister added.

He said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has asked Inspector General of Police to conduct a full probe.

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Yesterday: 17 killed, 37 injured in Nugegoda blast

Tomorrow: Buttala double bus bomb