Rajapakse, SL Military Intelligence responsible for MPs murder - IFT

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 December 2005, 16:39 GMT]
The Geneva based International Federation of Tamils (IFT), a consortium of more than 150 expatriate Tamil organizations, on Sunday urged the International Community, to condemn without delay, the brutal murder of the Tamil Parliamentarian and human rights activist Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham during the midnight Christmas cathedral service. The Federation urged the International Community to hold Sri Lanka government and President Mahinda Rajapakse responsible for the murder. IFT said Joseph Pararajasingham was a pragmatist, advocating for over a decade, even before the signing of the CFA, a direct dialogue between the government and the LTTE.

Excerpts from the press statement issued by the International Federation of Tamils (IFT) follow:

"In the name of human rights, democracy, religious and racial harmony, justice and fair-play, the IFT appeals to the International Community (IC), to condemn without delay, the brutal murder of the Tamil Parliamentarian and human rights activist, Joseph Pararajasingham during the midnight Christmas cathedral service and to hold Sri Lanka government and President Mahinda Rajapakse responsible for the heinous crime committed through the State Intelligence Unit and the paramilitary forces operating in the north-east."

"Joseph Pararajasingham was a true democrat and an advocate of peaceful resolution to the national problem in Sri Lanka. He was one of the founder members of NESOHR, the North- East secretariat of human rights. He was a pragmatist, advocating for over a decade, even before the signing of the CFA, a direct dialogue between the government and the LTTE. As a veteran of the TULF, he was also instrumental in convincing the party hierarchy that the emancipation of the Tamils lay in supporting the LTTE at the peace talks. During parliamentary elections in the past, there were a number of life-threats on him from paramilitary cadres and the state Intelligence Unit. He survived them all, finally to succumb during a church Christmas service, to an assassin’s bullet, which made mockery of the 'Silent night,' and, 'Holy night!'"

In Sri Lanka, 'All is not calm,' and 'All is not bright' now, the IFT statement said.