Alfred Duraiappah

Alfred Duraiappah (died 27 July 1975) was a former MP and mayor of Jaffna, Sri Lanka who was assassinated by the Tamil Tigers.

First political murder

A member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, Alfred Duraiappah was a former MP and mayor of Jaffna. His assassination by the Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in July 1975 is considered a seminal event marking the onset the Sri Lankan civil war. Duraiappah was killed on his way to a Hindu temple for prayers, although he himself was a Christian.

His tenure and Jaffna prosperity

His tenure as the mayor of a long neglected city saw it endowed with funds for development from the government in Colombo. Roads were paved, stadiums built and jobs were created. His period of office also saw an increase in the prosperity of the Jaffna farmers as the prices of agricultural produce rose, possibly due to government policies enacted at the time.

References

Appoint a Commission to inquire into the killings of Parliamentarians

External links

• First Military Operation - Pirapaharan Returns
• The Murder of Alfred Duraiappah
• SRI LANKA: NO WAR NO PEACE
• Claims and Dilemmas: 25 years after Duraiappah
• Alfred Duriappah - A Tamil Article
• Inside Story into the murder of Alfred Duraiappah - UTHR(J) report
• Asian Tribune’s smoking gun revelation: Interpol expert R. Suntha substantiates AT’s revelation on the shooting of Jaffna mayor, Asian Tribune, September 28, 2010