TNA condemns killing of PS member, attack on MP's House

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 October 2006, 12:19 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in a press release issued Tuesday, accused two Sinhala Homeguards for killing the elected TNA member Seruwila Pradesiya Sabha, and condemned the grenade attack on the private residence of TNA Vanni parliamentarian, Sivanathan Kishore.

Full text of the press release follows:

31 October 2006

PRESS RELEASE

On the 30th of October at about 11am, Mr. Kopalasundaram Pathmakalapan who was the only Tamil National Alliance (TNA) member of the nine member Seruwila Pradesiya Sabha was assassinated. He was shot dead by two gunmen opposite the Seruwila People’s Bank, which is less than 50 meters from the Serunuwara Police Station on the one side, and less than 40 meters from the 41st Mile Post Junction security check point on the other. At the time of shooting there were several Police officers providing security to the said Bank. The gunmen had not been apprehended.

The TNA very reliably learns that the two gunmen were Home Guards by the names of Karunaratne and Weerasinghe who are attached to the Serunuwara Police Station and have currently sought refuge at the Serunuwara Police Station itself.

In a separate incident, at about 10pm on the 29th of October 2006, the private residence of the TNA Member of Parliament for the Vanni Electoral District, Hon. Sivanathan Kishore, was attacked with 7 hand-grenades. Mr. Kishore and his wife and children were at the residence at the time of the attack but managed to escape unhurt. One Police officer providing security to the MP was wounded.

Hon. Kishore’s residence is situated within close proximity to an Air Force camp. The residence is also between two checkpoints situated on either side, one 15 meters and the other less than 100 meters away. The attackers had not been apprehended.

The TNA condemns in the strongest possible terms these attacks on democratically elected representatives of the Tamil people. The TNA wishes to point out that the objective of these attacks on political leaders is to terrorize and silence such persons and thereby prevent the exposure of serious human rights abuses that are being continuously committed by the GOSL’s Armed Forces and its Paramilitary groups, who are in the pursuit of a military solution to the Tamil National question.

R. SAMPANTHAN M.P.
TNA Parliamentary Group Leader