List of people assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The following is a list of notable people assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, commonly known as Tamil Tigers or as LTTE.[1][2] The LTTE is a now-defunct militant organisation that was based in northern Sri Lanka, which fought for a separate Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka between 1983 and 2009.[3] The LTTE was decisively defeated by the Sri Lankan Military in May 2009 and it has been banned by 30 countries, including the United States, Canada, India and the 27 member nations of the European Union.[4] At the height of its power, the LTTE possessed a well-developed militia and carried out many high-profile attacks, including the assassinations of an Indian prime minister, Sri Lankan president and several other high-ranking Sri Lankan politicians.[5][6][7][8] Some of the notable people who survived the assassination attempts of LTTE, are also included at the bottom of this list.
Heads of state and government
- Ranasinghe Premadasa[7][9] - Former President of Sri Lanka
- Rajiv Gandhi[6][10] - Former Prime Minister of India
Government ministers
- Lalith Athulathmudali[11][a] - Former Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister of Trade, National Security, Agriculture, Education and deputy minister of defence.
- Gamini Dissanayake[8][13] - Former United National Party presidential candidate and Leader of the Opposition, Former Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister of Irrigation, Power, Highways, Land, Land Development, Plantation Industries, Mahaweli and Mahaweli Development & Former chairman of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board
- Ranjan Wijeratne[8][14] - Former Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister of Foreign Affairs, Plantation Industries and Minister of State for Defense
- Lakshman Kadirgamar[15][16] Former Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, Prominent Tamil diplomat, politician and lawyer.
- Jeyaraj Fernandopulle[17] - Former Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister of Highways & Road Development, the chief government whip of the parliament of Sri Lanka
- C. V. Gunaratne[8][13] - Former Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister of Industries Development.
- Weerasinghe Mallimarachchi[8][13] - Former Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister of Food, Co-operative, and Janasaviya-Poverty Alleviation
- G. M. Premachandra[8][13] - Former Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister of Labour and Vocational Training
- D. M. Dassanayake[18] - Former Sri Lankan non-cabinet Minister of Nation Building
Members of Sri Lankan parliament
- Ossie Abeygunasekera[8][13] - Former Chairman and Leader of the Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya, Former candidate of the Presidential election in 1989
- A. Amirthalingam[19][20] - Leading Sri Lankan Tamil politician and former Leader of the Opposition.
- A. Thangathurai[21]- Former Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Member of Parliament for Trincomalee District.
- Alfred Duraiappah[22] - Former Sri Lanka Freedom Party member of the parliament for Jaffna District and former mayor of Jaffna.
- M. Canagaratnam[23] Former Tamil United Liberation Front MP for Pottuvil
- A. L. Abdul Majeed[24] - Former Sri Lanka Freedom Party MP for Mutur
- S. Shanmuganathan[19] Former Democratic People's Liberation Front MP for Vanni District
- Nimalan Soundaranayagam[25] - Former Tamil United Liberation Front MP for Batticaloa District
- Sam Tambimuttu[13][26] Former Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front MP for Batticaloa District
- Neelan Tiruchelvam[27][28] - Scholar, international activist, legislator, lawyer, social scientist and politician. Former Member of the Sri Lanka Parliament from National List
- G. Yogasangari[29] - Former Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front MP for Jaffna District
- V. Yogeswaran[19][20] Former Tamil United Liberation Front MP for Jaffna district
Senior military and police officers
- Admiral Clancy Fernando[11] - Former Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy
- Lieutenant General Denzil Kobbekaduwa[11][b] - General Officer Commanding, Northern Sector, Sri Lankan Army
- Lieutenant General Parami Kulatunga[31] - Deputy Chief of Staff, Sri Lankan Army
- Lieutenant Generall Nalin Angammana[32] - General Officer Commanding, 3rd Army Division, Sri Lankan Army
- Major General Lucky Wijayaratne[11] - Former Commander, 22 Brigade, Sri Lanka Army
- Major General Larry Wijeratne[33] -Former Brigade Commander, 51-4 Brigade
- Major General Lakshman Algama[34] - Former Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army
- Major General Vijaya Wimalaratne[11][b] - Former Commander of Jaffna, Sri Lanka Army
- Major General Percy Fernando[35] - Former Deputy General Officer Commanding, 54 Division, Sri Lanka Army
- Major General Ananda Hamangoda[36] - Former Brigade Commander, 51-2 Brigade, Sri Lanka Army
- Major General Susantha Mendis[37] - Former Brigade Commander, 51-4 Brigade
- Major General Janaka Perera[38] - Former Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, Former High Commissioner to Australia & Ambassador to Indonesia, Former opposition leader of the North Central Provincial Council
- Rear Admiral Mohan Jayamaha[39][b] - Former Commander, Northern Naval Area, Sri Lanka Navy
- Air Commodore Shirantha Goonatilake[40] - Former Commanding Officer of No. 1 Flying Training Wing, Sri Lanka Air Force
- Colonel Tuan Nizam Muthaliff[41][42] - Former Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, Military Intelligence Corps, Sri Lanka Army
- Senior Deputy Inspector General T. N. De Silva[43][44] - SDIG, Colombo Range, Sri Lanka Police
- Senior Superintendent of Police Chandra Perera[37] - Former SSP, Jaffna
- Assistant Superintendent of Police Ivan Boteju[45] - Former Assistant Superintendent, Kalmunai, Sri Lanka Police
Prelates
- Kithalagama Sri Seelalankara Thera[46] - Chief incumbent of the Dimbulagala Raja Maha Vihara, former Chief Sangha Nayake of Northern and Eastern provinces
- Hegoda Sri Indrasara Thera[47] - Chief incumbent of Vidyananda Maha Pirivena - Ampara, former Chief Sangha Nayake of Northern and Eastern provinces
- Sivashri Kungaraja Kurukkal[48] - Former head pandit of the Koneswaram temple of Trincomalee
- Selliah Parameswaran Kurukkal[49][50] - Chief Pujari of the Santhiveli Pilleyar Kovil, Batticaloa
Activists and journalists
- Chelvy Thiyagarajah[51] - Founder of feminist journal called Tholi, International PEN award winner in 1992
- Balanadarajah Iyer[52][53] - Sri Lankan Tamil activist, writer and poet
- Kethesh Loganathan[54] - Tamil political activist, Human Rights advocate and deputy secretary general of the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP).
- Rajani Thiranagama[55] - University lecturer, Tamil human rights activist and feminist
- Relangi Selvarajah[56] - Tamil broadcaster and actress.
Others
- C. E. Anandarajah[57] - Sri Lankan educationist and former principal of St. John's College, Jaffna.
- V. M. Panchalingam[58] - Leading Sri Lankan Tamil civil servant and former District Secretary of Jaffna
- S. Nadarajah[19] - Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer, politician and former member of the Senate of Ceylon.
- Sarojini Yogeswaran[13][59] - Former Mayor of Jaffna
- Gopalaswamy Mahendraraja[60] - Former Deputy leader of the LTTE
- Uma Maheswaran[13][c] - Founder of the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam.
- Kumaraswamy Nandagopan[64] - Former president of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal
Attempted assassinations
- Chandrika Kumaratunga[65][66] - Former president of Sri Lanka
- Maithreepala Sirisena[67][68] - Current president of Sri Lanka, Former minister of Health and Agriculture
- Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka[69] - Eighteenth Commander of Sri Lankan Army
- Gotabhaya Rajapaksa[70][71] - Former Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Sri Lanka
- Douglas Devananda[72][73] - Leader of the Eelam People's Democratic Party
- Nimal Siripala de Silva[74] - Current Minister of Transport in the Parliament of Sri Lanka
Notes
- ^ Other sources blame Athulathmudali's assassination on the Security Forces.[12]
- ^ a b c Other sources blame Jayamaha, Kobbekaduwa and Wimalaratne's assassinations on the Army.[30]
- ^ The Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front, an offshoot of PLOTE, claimed responsibility for Maheswaran's assassination.[61] Other independent sources blame Maheswaran's assassination on disgruntled members of PLOTE.[62][63]
References
- ^ Gunaratna, Rohan (2001-11-03). "Intelligence failures exposed by Tamil Tiger airport attack". Jane's Information Group. Archived from the original on 2007-03-03. Retrieved 2007-04-27.
- ^ Audrey Kurth Cronin; Huda Aden; Adam Frost; Benjamin Jones (2004-02-06). "CRS Report for Congress, Foreign Terrorist Organizations" (PDF). Bureau of Consular Affairs. The Library of Congress. Retrieved 2015-04-29.
{{cite news}}
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ignored (|name-list-style=
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- ^ The European Union Lists Sri Lanka's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a Banned Terrorist Organization, Worldwatch Institute
- ^ Taming the Tamil Tigers, The FBI
- ^ a b "Tamil Tiger 'regret' over Gandhi". BBC News. 27 June 2006. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
- ^ a b "Sri Lanka assassination plot". BBC News. 27 July 1998. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
- ^ a b c d e f g Jane's Sentinel on LTTE success in resisting Sri Lankan forces, Tamil nation
- ^ Sambandan, V. S. (5 September 2005). "Inquiries into Premadasa, Dissanayake killings closed". Chennai, India: The Hindu. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
- ^ "On This Day 21 May - 1991: Bomb kills India's former leader Rajiv Gandhi". BBC. 21 May 1991. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
- ^ a b c d e "Jane's Sentinel on LTTE success in resisting Sri Lankan forces". Tamil Nation. 4 September 2000. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
- ^ Rajasingham, K. T. "Chapter 58: Premadasa indicted". Sri Lanka: The Untold Story.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Prominent Political Leaders Assassinated by The LTTE". South Asia Terrorism Portal. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
- ^ "On This Day 2 March - 1991: Sri Lankan hardliner among 19 killed in blast". BBC. 2 March 1991. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
- ^ "The LTTE's war trap, The Hindu". Hindu.com. 2006-08-17. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
- ^ "Senior Sri Lanka minister killed". BBC News. London. August 13, 2005. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
- ^ "BBCSinhala.com". Retrieved 17 December 2014.
- ^ "D.M. Dassanayake, a Sri Lankan minister, is killed by bomb". New York Times. 8 January 2008. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
- ^ a b c d D. B. S. Jeyaraj (16 March 2008). "Assassinating Tamil Parliamentarians: The unceasing waves". The Nation, Sri Lanka.
- ^ a b Rajasingham, K. T. "Chapter 39: Amirthalingham eliminated". SRI LANKA: THE UNTOLD STORY.
- ^ "Document - Sri Lanka: Tamil Tigers leaders should account for latest killings - Amnesty International". Retrieved 17 December 2014.
- ^ "Welcome to UTHR, Sri Lanka". Retrieved 17 December 2014.
- ^ Rajasingham , KT (February 2, 2002). "SRI LANKA: THE UNTOLD STORY - Chapter 27 - Horsewhip Amirthalingham". Asia Times. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
- ^ LTTE has so far killed 25 parliamentarians
- ^ "Special Report No 17 - Rewarding Tyranny: Undermining the Democratic Potential for Peace". University Teachers for Human Rights. 7 October 2003.
- ^ Batti political family scion beckons Tamils away from politics of hate, The Island
- ^ Suicide bomber kills Lankan MP
- ^ "Sri Lanka: Tamil politician assassinated". BBC News. July 29, 1999. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
- ^ Subramanian, T. S. (14 August 1999). "Chronicle of murders". Frontline. Vol. 16, no. 17. ISSN 0970-1710. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012.
{{cite magazine}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
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- ^ Sri Lanka general killed in blast - BBC News
- ^ "Passage - Died". Asiaweek. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
{{cite web}}
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- ^ "The fall of Elephant Pass". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
- ^ Situation Report 7th July 1996 - How 2 brave soldiers saved minister By Iqbal Athas www.sundaytimes.lk
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- ^ "Maj Gen Janaka Perera and his wife killed in LTTE suicide attack in Anuradhapura". Asian Tribune. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
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- ^ "Harry Goonatilake, a true patriot". Daily News- Spice. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
- ^ Fourth anniversary of Col. Muthaliff’s assassination
- ^ LTTE assassinates Major Nizam Muthalif- Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights in Sri Lanka (SPUR)
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- ^ Gautamadasa, Aravinda (2014-03-03). "Commemorating a slain principal". The Island, Sri Lanka.
- ^ "Jaffna Govt. Agent Shot Dead". Tamil Times. Vol. VIII, no. 6. May 1989. p. 17. ISSN 0266-4488.
- ^ Assassination of Tamil Leader Appapillai Amirthalingam by the LTTE 25 Years Ago
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- ^ Rajasingham, K. T. "Chapter 39: Amirthalingham eliminated". Sri Lanka: The Untold Story.
- ^ Eastern Province CM’s Personal Secretary, driver gunned down Archived 2011-06-29 at the Wayback Machine Sri Lanka Daily News - November 15, 2008
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- ^ Three-wheeler got closer and closer and then a bang..., The Sunday Times, Asif Furad
- ^ LTTE explodes a human bomb-targeting Minister Douglas Devananda
- ^ Attempt on Douglas Devananda’s life , The Island
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