Sri Lanka’s former Foreign Minister and eminent lawyer Lakshman Kadirgamar PC, was gunned down by an assassin on August 12, 2005. After a distinguished career as a lawyer and international humanitarian, he was appointed as Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka in 1994 by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.
Himself an ethnic Tamil, he braved the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) propaganda almost single handedly at various international fora. He achieved international prominence in this position due to his wide ranging condemnation of the LTTE – also called Tamil Tigers - and his efforts to have them banned internationally. He served until 2001, and then again from April 2004 until his assassination in August 2005, which was carried out by an LTTE terrorist sniper from across his residence at Wijerama Mawatha in Colombo.
Mr. Kadirgamar was conferred the title Sri Lankabhimanya by the State for his services rendered, among which was the proposal to the UN to make the Buddhist holy day, Vesak Day an international celebration day.
Born in Manipay, Jaffna, he spent his early childhood in the southern part of the island. An alumnus of Trinity College,Kandy, he captained the college first eleven cricket team in 1950 while also competing in the college athletic and rugby teams.
Lakshman was the brother of S.J.C. Kadirgamar Jr. QC, Rear Admiral Rajan Kadirgamar and Colonel Bai Kadirgamar.
Kadirgamar went on to study law at the University of Ceylon, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) (Honors) degree in 1953. He was the top student in the First Class at the Advocates Intermediate Examination in 1953. In 1954 he won the scholarship for the candidate placed first in the First Class at the Advocates Final Examination of the Ceylon Law College and was awarded prizes for the Law of Evidence and the Law of Persons and Property. He was admitted to the Ceylon Bar in 1955. Later, at Balliol College, Oxford, he received his B.Litt. degree. Kadirgamar, like several other Sri Lankans, was elected to serve as President of the Oxford Union.
Although he had never been actively involved in politics before and had never even addressed a political rally, he was selected as national list MP in 1994 on the People’s Alliance (PA) list for the General Elections. Following the victory of the PA, he was appointed Foreign Minister in the government of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. After the defeat of the government in 2001, he became Special Adviser on Foreign Affairs to the President. Despite being a Tamil, he strongly supported the Bandaranaike government’s policy of not negotiating with the Tamil Tigers in northern Sri Lanka. He has also been critical of the Norwegian mediators in the period 2001 to 2004, claiming they were biased toward the Tamil Tigers.
Following the victory of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in the April 2, 2004 Sri Lankan legislative elections, he was mentioned as a candidate for Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, but on April 6 President Kumaratunga appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa to the post. Four days later, however, he became Foreign Minister again in the new cabinet.
During a BBC interview he was asked if he thought he was a traitor to the Tamil people since he was a minister in a Sinhalese-dominated government. In reply he said, “People who live in Sri Lanka are first and foremost Sri Lankans, then we have our race and religion, which is something given to us at birth. We have to live in Sri Lanka as Sri Lankans tolerating all races and religions.”
On a day like today, August 12, 2005, around 2300 hours, Kadirgamar was shot by an LTTE sniper in Colomboas he was getting out of the swimming pool at his private residence. Early reports indicate he was shot twice in the head, once in the neck, and once in the body. He was rushed to the National Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Lakshman Kadirgamar was also known for his combative and ready wit. When Shane Warne justified Australia’s decision to not play in Colomboduring the 1996 Cricket World Cup due to the terrorist threat by saying that he can be targeted by a drive-in bomber while he is shopping, Kadirgamar is reported to have said, “Shopping is for sissies.”
Kadirgamar had commented later, “There was a storm of protest in Australia. A TV interviewer asked me whether I had ever played cricket. I said I had played before he was born - without helmets and thigh guards, on matting wickets that were full of holes and stones, and I had my share of broken bones to show of it. My friend the Australian Foreign Minister was drawn into the fray. He phoned me. We decided to cool things down... When the whole episode was over I sent a bouquet of flowers to my Australian counterpart. Flowers are also for sissies…..”
Source by :ada derana
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