Anton Balasingham
Encyclopedia
Anton Stanislaus Balasingham (March 4, 1938 – December 14, 2006) (Tamil
:ஆண்டன் பாலசிங்கம்) was the chief political strategist and chief negotiator of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
a militant organization. He was a British
citizen of Tamil origin from Sri Lanka
.
on the 4th of March in the minority Sri Lankan Tamil dominated district in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka
. His father was a Hindu
and mother a Christian Roman Catholic. His father also hailed from Eastern province
whereas his mother was a native Jaffna Tamil
.
newspaper and as a translator at the British High Commission in Colombo
. Balasingham was initially married to a Sri Lankan Tamil. After she died due to the complications of chronic renal failure
, he married Adele Ann Wilby
in London
, UK, in 1978. Adele, an Australia
n citizen and a nurse by professional training, became a prominent member of the women’s wing of the LTTE.
In the past, Adele herself has been involved in the peace talks, as the secretary of the LTTE delegation. In April 2002 , Anton Balasingaham appeared alongside LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran
in a rare press conference in the LTTE held town of Kilinochchi
in Sri Lanka.
From the Thimphu talks in 1985 to the first round of the Geneva talks held on February 22–23, 2006 Balasingham was the head of the LTTE delegation in all the peace negotiations with the government of Sri Lanka. However, he could not participate in an October round because of ill health, and in November 2006, Balasingham was diagnosed with cancer. He suffered from diabetes, Motor Neurone Disease
, a degenerative disease of the nervous system, and possibly medicine-induced bile duct cancer.
and that:
Chief Minister Karunanidhi who in his condolence message had stated
, Balasingham's death is a loss to both sides of the Sri Lankan civil war
. Balasingam was credited as the only moderating force within an otherwise belligerent rebel group and the only man within the group that could criticize and influence the leader Velupillai Prabhakaran
. Balasingam was known for his relentless attempts to bring the Tigers to the international negotiating arena. It was mainly due to his perseverance that the Tigers acquired a reputation as a progressive organization among certain liberals in the west.
Balasingam was also credited with bringing the attention of the world to a forgotten war in this small island nation. Although Balasingham was plagued with physical ailments he valiantly attended all the peace talks. According to BBC, Balasingam’s death will be a blow not only to the Tamil Tigers but also to many in the south of the country as he provided a thread of hope for a peaceful resolution to the seemingly intractable and escalating conflict of Sri Lanka.
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
:ஆண்டன் பாலசிங்கம்) was the chief political strategist and chief negotiator of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...
a militant organization. He was a British
British nationality law
British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom that concerns citizenship and other categories of British nationality. The law is complex because of the United Kingdom's former status as an imperial power.-History:...
citizen of Tamil origin from Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
Biography
He was born in BatticaloaBatticaloa
Batticaloa is a city in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka. It is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. It is on the east coast, south by south east of Trincomalee, and is situated on an island.-Etymology:...
on the 4th of March in the minority Sri Lankan Tamil dominated district in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. His father was a Hindu
Hinduism in Sri Lanka
Hindus currently make up more than 15% of the Sri Lankan population, and are almost exclusively Tamils apart from small immigrant communities from India and Pakistan such as the Sindhis, Telugus, Kannadigas and Malayalees. In the 1915 census they made up almost 25% of the population, which included...
and mother a Christian Roman Catholic. His father also hailed from Eastern province
Batticaloa
Batticaloa is a city in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka. It is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. It is on the east coast, south by south east of Trincomalee, and is situated on an island.-Etymology:...
whereas his mother was a native Jaffna Tamil
Jaffna Tamil
Jaffna Tamil could mean*Jaffna Tamil person of Jaffna, in Sri Lanka origin.*Jaffna Tamil dialect used by a person of Jaffna Tamil origin...
.
Career
After his graduation from school in Jaffna, he worked as a journalist in a ColomboColombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
newspaper and as a translator at the British High Commission in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
. Balasingham was initially married to a Sri Lankan Tamil. After she died due to the complications of chronic renal failure
Renal failure
Renal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
, he married Adele Ann Wilby
Adele Ann Wilby
Adele Ann Wilby or Adele Balasingham is the Australian born former leader of the women’s wing of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam of Sri Lanka. She currently resides in London, UK.-Biography:...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, UK, in 1978. Adele, an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n citizen and a nurse by professional training, became a prominent member of the women’s wing of the LTTE.
In the past, Adele herself has been involved in the peace talks, as the secretary of the LTTE delegation. In April 2002 , Anton Balasingaham appeared alongside LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran
Velupillai Prabhakaran
Thiruvenkadam Velupillai Prabhakaran was the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a militant organization that sought to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka...
in a rare press conference in the LTTE held town of Kilinochchi
Kilinochchi
Kilinochchi is a city in the Kilinochchi District, part of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Kilinochchi is situated at the A9 road some south-east of Jaffna...
in Sri Lanka.
From the Thimphu talks in 1985 to the first round of the Geneva talks held on February 22–23, 2006 Balasingham was the head of the LTTE delegation in all the peace negotiations with the government of Sri Lanka. However, he could not participate in an October round because of ill health, and in November 2006, Balasingham was diagnosed with cancer. He suffered from diabetes, Motor Neurone Disease
Motor neurone disease
The motor neurone diseases are a group of neurological disorders that selectively affect motor neurones, the cells that control voluntary muscle activity including speaking, walking, breathing, swallowing and general movement of the body. They are generally progressive in nature, and can cause...
, a degenerative disease of the nervous system, and possibly medicine-induced bile duct cancer.
LTTE
Rebel leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran said in a rare emotional statements thatand that:
Government of Sri Lanka
The Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka commented http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20061215_01.State Government of Tamil Nadu
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
Chief Minister Karunanidhi who in his condolence message had stated
International Media
According to BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, Balasingham's death is a loss to both sides of the Sri Lankan civil war
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
. Balasingam was credited as the only moderating force within an otherwise belligerent rebel group and the only man within the group that could criticize and influence the leader Velupillai Prabhakaran
Velupillai Prabhakaran
Thiruvenkadam Velupillai Prabhakaran was the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a militant organization that sought to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka...
. Balasingam was known for his relentless attempts to bring the Tigers to the international negotiating arena. It was mainly due to his perseverance that the Tigers acquired a reputation as a progressive organization among certain liberals in the west.
Balasingam was also credited with bringing the attention of the world to a forgotten war in this small island nation. Although Balasingham was plagued with physical ailments he valiantly attended all the peace talks. According to BBC, Balasingam’s death will be a blow not only to the Tamil Tigers but also to many in the south of the country as he provided a thread of hope for a peaceful resolution to the seemingly intractable and escalating conflict of Sri Lanka.