Aussie doctor pays tribute to Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 November 2007, 12:24 GMT]
Queensland Pediatrician and Director of Townsville Hospital's Neonatal Unit, Dr John Whitehall, who taught in Kilinochchi in 2004, in a recorded statement sent to the Sydney memorial held to mark the death of LTTE Political Head, S.P. Thamilchelvan, said the young Tamil leader reminded him of Nelson Mandela for the absence of "vindictiveness and bitterness," and for Thamilchelvan's "determination and desire for the welfare of all people."

Professor Whitehall said he is saddened by two aspects of the killing.

First, this was a personal loss of a man whom he met in Kilinochchi in 2004 while teaching students in Tamileelam medical college. Thamilchelvan was "intelligent and engaging," and had the "quality of leadership required for the international responsibility," he was shouldering on behalf of the Tamil people, Prof. Whitehall said.

Statement of Prof.Whitehall

Secondly, he said, "the assassination confirms the reality of the likelihood of greater conflict to come," and that he was saddened by the public remarks by Colombo that "they have setup on a task to execute LTTE leaders one-by-one." This goal, the Prof. Whitehall said, has been confessed by the leftist JVP, the fundamentalist budhist folks who do not pursue the way of tolerance and those who seek to profit by sale of arms.

Prof.Whitehall opined that however gifted and talented Thamilchelvan was, he is not irreplaceable, reminding of his profound impression of the graves [Heroes cemetary] of more than 17,000 young lives lost in the struggle for Tamil freedom.

He said that, "the death of Tamilchelvan will be protested by the International Community...I hope also that International community will also not overlook the daily assassination of ordinary Tamils, bombing of schools,... and sustained record of human rights abuses of Sri Lankan Government. If Tamilchelvan's death can lead to international recognition of the struggle of the Tamil people, then perhaps he himself may have considered his death to be worthwhile."

Related Articles:
25.08.07   Western media ignores Sri Lanka State Terror- Aussie doctor


External Links:

YouTube:

Prof Whitehall pays tribute to S. P. Thamilchelvan