Lakshman Kadirgamar
Encyclopedia
Sri Lankabhimanya
Lakshman Kadirgamar PC (Sinhala: ලක්ශමන් කදිර්ගාමර්, Tamil
: லக்ஷமன் கதிர்காமர்) (April 12, 1932 – August 12, 2005) was a Sri Lanka
n diplomat
, politician
and a lawyer
. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka
from 1994 to 2001 and again from April 2004 until his assassination in August 2005. He achieved international prominence in this position due to his wide ranging condemnation of the LTTE (Tamil Tigers) and his efforts to have them banned internationally. A distinguished lawyer and international humanitarian, he was assassinated by an LTTE sniper in August 2005
, Jaffna
, and spent his early childhood in the southern part of the island. He hailed from a Tamil
family; his father was Sam J.C.Kadirgamar Sr, JP
, UM
a Proctor
, who was the President of the Colombo Proctor's Association and the founder President of the Law Society of Ceylon. He had three elder brothers; S.J.C.Kadirgamar Jr., QC
was a eminent lawyer in commercial law, Rear Admiral
Rajan Kadiragamar
former head of the Royal Ceylon Navy and Selvanathan "Bai" Kadirgamar was a Major
in the Ceylon Army.
, he captained the college first eleven cricket
team in 1950 while also competing in the college athletic
and rugby
teams. He played in the annual Bradby Shield Encounter
. He was the winner of the Senior Batting Prize in 1948, a Rugger Coloursman in 1948 and 1949, Athletics Lion in 1949, and winner of the first Duncan White Challenge Cup for Athletics in 1948. In recognition of his all round performance in academic and extra curricular spheres, he was awarded the prestigious Ryde Gold medal
for the best all round student of 1950. He was also the Senior Prefect
of Trinity College.
Kadirgamar went on to study law at the University of Ceylon
, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws
(LLB) (Honors) degree in 1953. Kadirgamar was the holder of the All India Inter University Hurdles Record both at Ahmedabad and Allahabad.
He was the top student in the First Class at the Advocates Intermediate Examination in 1953 of the Ceylon Law College. In 1954 he won the scholarship for the candidate placed first in the First Class at the Advocates Final Examination of the Ceylon Law College and was awarded prizes for the Law of Evidence and the Law of Persons and Property. In 1955 he took oaths as Advocate of the Supreme Court of Ceylon.
Thereafter he won a scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford
, where he received his BLitt
degree from the University of Oxford
. Kadirgamar, like several other Sri Lankans, was elected to serve as President of the Oxford Union
. He was an Oxford University Cricket Blue.
(WIPO), Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation
(IOR-ARC) and South Asia Foundation (SAF).
In 1963, he was the Special Commissioner of Amnesty International
to investigate Buddhist-Catholic
clashes in Vietnam
. He was the founder Director of the United Nations Intellectual Property Organisation where he acted as advisor to 36 Governments. He was made a President's Counsel in the 1980's. Kadirgamar was the author of a number of scholarly articles published in international legal journals such as the Modern Law Review
, The South African Law Journal and The Conveyancer and Property Lawyer.
in 1994 on the People's Alliance
(PA) list for the General Elections
. Following the victory of the PA, he was appointed Foreign Minister
in the PA government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga
. he held the post till 2001, playing a significant role in having the LTTE banned internationally. The United States and the United Kingdom banned the LTTE in the late 1990's depriving them of their primary source of funding.
After the defeat of the government in 2001, he became special adviser on Foreign Affairs to the President. Despite being a Tamil, he strongly supported the Bandaranaike government's policy of not negotiating with the Tamil Tigers insurgents in northern Sri Lanka after failed peace talks in 1995. He has also been critical of the Norwegian mediators in the period 2001 to 2004, claiming they have been biased toward the Tamil Tigers.
On 20 November 2003, Kadirgamar declared his candidacy for the position of Secretary-General
of the Commonwealth of Nations
. He stood with the support of South Africa
, which was critical of incumbent Don McKinnon
's opposition to Zimbabwean involvement in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2003
, at which Zimbabwe withdrew from the organisation. In doing so, Kadirgamar broke the convention of not challenging incumbents for the position, which is usually appointed by consensus. However, at the vote, held in early December, he was defeated by the New Zealander, with 11 members voting for him against 40 for McKinnon.
Following the victory of the United People's Freedom Alliance
in the April 2, 2004 Sri Lankan legislative elections
, he was mentioned as a possible candidate for Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
, but on April 6 President Kumaratunga appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa
to the post. Four days later, however, he was appointed foreign minister again in the new cabinet.
interview he was asked if he thought he was a traitor to the Tamil people since he was a minister in a Sinhalese
-dominated government. He said "People who live in Sri Lanka are first and foremost Sri Lankans, then we have our race and religion, which is something given to us at birth". "We have to live in Sri Lanka as Sri Lankans tolerating all races and religion".
+6), Kadirgamar was shot by an LTTE sniper
in Colombo
as he was getting out of the swimming pool
at his private residence in Cinnamon Gardens
. Early reports indicate he was shot twice in the head, once in the neck, and once in the body. He was rushed to the Colombo National Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His hospital report indicates that he died as a result of his wounds.
It is widely believed around the world that Kadirgamar's assassins belong to LTTE, a group banned as a Terrorist Organization by a number of countries including the United States
, Canada
, India
and the European Union
primary due to his efforts. An overwhelming majority of Sri Lankans, hold them responsible due to the fact that Kadirgamar was responsible for getting the US among many countries to classify the LTTE as a terrorist organization. The Tamil Tigers have denied responsibility for the killing, and have stated that any damage made to their international reputation by Lakshman Kadirgamar was already done, and they would not risk the cease-fire agreement by carrying out this assassination.
Kadirgamar on many occasions mentioned the LTTE's threats to his life. Speaking to The Hindu
, he said "They (LTTE) can get me anytime. I get very serious reports things are hotting up".
According to Asian Tribune, on September 5 Sri Lankan police arrested two Tamils, Muttiah Sahadevan alias Devan (Kadirgamar's neighbor's gardener) and Isidor Arokya Nathar alias Babu. The website alleged that they have confessed to having met Charles of the LTTE intelligence and helping out two alleged assassins. The website further claims that this is seen in some quarters in Sri Lanka as proof that the LTTE was behind his assassination. The suspects arrested in his murder case were released after no evidence was found after over two years in custody.
U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
, who last met Mr Kadirgamar in June, condemned the assassination of Sri Lanka's foreign minister as a "senseless murder and vicious act of terror" and urged Sri Lankans not to let it lead to resumed civil war. She praised Kadirgamar as a man of "dignity, honor and integrity, who devoted his life to bringing peace to Sri Lanka".
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
said in a statement quoted by the AFP
news agency: "Sri Lanka has lost a deeply respected statesman dedicated to peace and national unity."
Australia
's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer
paid tribute to Kadirgamar saying he played a key role in bringing forward the peace process in Sri Lanka. "Lakshman Kadirgamar was an eminent statesman and a distinguished representative of Sri Lanka," he said. "He was a man of moderation who sought the path of peace and worked tirelessly for his country."
Peace brokers Norway
also condemned the assassination, with Foreign Minister Jan Petersen
describing it as "an atrocious crime and a tragedy for Sri Lanka."
justified Australia
's decision to not play in Colombo
during the 1996 Cricket World Cup
due to the terrorist threat by saying that he can be targeted by a drive-in bomber while he is shopping, Kadirgamar is reported to have said "Shopping is for sissies."
Kadirgamar commented later "There was a storm of protest in Australia
. A TV interviewer asked me whether I had ever played cricket. I said I had played before he was born - without helmets and thigh guards, on matting wickets that were full of holes and stones, and I had my share of broken bones to show of it. My friend the Australian foreign minister was drawn into the fray. He phoned me. We decided to cool things down... When the whole episode was over I sent a bouquet of flowers to my Australian counterpart. Flowers are also for sissies."
posthumously. The Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies
a think tank
in international affairs was established in his memory an year after his assassination. A statue of Kadirgamar has been erected at the Liberty roundabout in Colombo.
Sri Lankabhimanya
Sri Lankabhimanya is the highest National Honor of Sri Lanka awarded by the President of Sri Lanka on behalf of the Government. It is conventionally used as a title or prefix to the name of the person who received the award. It is the highest civil honour conferred for exceptionally outstanding...
Lakshman Kadirgamar PC (Sinhala: ලක්ශමන් කදිර්ගාමර්, Tamil
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...
: லக்ஷமன் கதிர்காமர்) (April 12, 1932 – August 12, 2005) was a 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...
n diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is an appointment in the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. The post was created in 1978 when the former Ministry of External Affairs and Defence was separated into two ministries...
from 1994 to 2001 and again from April 2004 until his assassination in August 2005. He achieved international prominence in this position due to his wide ranging condemnation of the LTTE (Tamil Tigers) and his efforts to have them banned internationally. A distinguished lawyer and international humanitarian, he was assassinated by an LTTE sniper in August 2005
Early life
Lakshman Kadirgamar was born in ManipayManipay
Manipay or Maanippaai is an affluent town in the northern Jaffna District of Sri Lanka. The original name of Manipay is Periya pulam. It was a mission location when the American Ceylon Mission came to Sri Lanka in the 19th century. Dr. Samuel Fisk Green founded the Green Memorial Hospital in 1864...
, Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
, and spent his early childhood in the southern part of the island. He hailed from a Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
family; his father was Sam J.C.Kadirgamar Sr, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, UM
UM
Um may refer to:* Um, an exclamation or filled pause in spoken conversation* Um * .um, the Top Level Domain for United States Minor Outlying Islands...
a Proctor
Proctor
Proctor, a variant of the word procurator, is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The word proctor is frequently used to describe someone who oversees an exam or dormitory.The title is used in England in three principal senses:...
, who was the President of the Colombo Proctor's Association and the founder President of the Law Society of Ceylon. He had three elder brothers; S.J.C.Kadirgamar Jr., QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
was a eminent lawyer in commercial law, Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Rajan Kadiragamar
Rajan Kadiragamar
Rear Admiral Rajanathan "Rajan" Kadiragamar, MVO, ADC, RCyN was Sri Lankan Admiral. He was the second Ceylonese Captain of the Royal Ceylon Navy from 1960 to 1970 and as such the longest serving Commander of the Navy.-Early life:...
former head of the Royal Ceylon Navy and Selvanathan "Bai" Kadirgamar was a Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the Ceylon Army.
Education
Educated at the Trinity College, KandyTrinity College, Kandy
Trinity College, Kandy founded in 1872 by Anglican missionaries, is an Independent elite private boys’ school providing primary and secondary education in Sri Lanka...
, he captained the college first eleven cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
team in 1950 while also competing in the college athletic
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
and rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
teams. He played in the annual Bradby Shield Encounter
Bradby Shield Encounter
The Bradby Shield Encounter - commonly known as "The Bradby" - is the blue ribbon of Sri Lanka's school rugby union season. It is played annually between traditional rivals Royal College, Colombo, and Trinity College, Kandy. The encounter consists of two legs, one being played in the Royal College...
. He was the winner of the Senior Batting Prize in 1948, a Rugger Coloursman in 1948 and 1949, Athletics Lion in 1949, and winner of the first Duncan White Challenge Cup for Athletics in 1948. In recognition of his all round performance in academic and extra curricular spheres, he was awarded the prestigious Ryde Gold medal
The Ryde Gold Medal
The Ryde Gold Medal is awarded each year to the "best all-round boy" at Trinity College, Kandy, an elite school in Sri Lanka founded in the 19th century and moulded in the British Public School tradition. The Ryde Gold Medal is the highest honour that the School can bestow...
for the best all round student of 1950. He was also the Senior Prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
of Trinity College.
Kadirgamar went on to study law at the University of Ceylon
University of Ceylon
The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the University of Sri Lanka which existed from 1973 to 1978. In 1978 it was...
, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
(LLB) (Honors) degree in 1953. Kadirgamar was the holder of the All India Inter University Hurdles Record both at Ahmedabad and Allahabad.
He was the top student in the First Class at the Advocates Intermediate Examination in 1953 of the Ceylon Law College. In 1954 he won the scholarship for the candidate placed first in the First Class at the Advocates Final Examination of the Ceylon Law College and was awarded prizes for the Law of Evidence and the Law of Persons and Property. In 1955 he took oaths as Advocate of the Supreme Court of Ceylon.
Thereafter he won a scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, where he received his BLitt
British degree abbreviations
Degree abbreviations are used as an alternative way to specify an academic degree instead of spelling out the title in full, such as in reference books like Who's Who and on business cards...
degree from the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. Kadirgamar, like several other Sri Lankans, was elected to serve as President of the Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
. He was an Oxford University Cricket Blue.
Legal career
Going on to become a international civil servant, Kadiragamar held many positions in numerous international organizations including the International Labour Organisation (ILO), World Intellectual Property OrganizationWorld Intellectual Property Organization
The World Intellectual Property Organization is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations. WIPO was created in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world"....
(WIPO), Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation
Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation
The Indian Ocean Rim-Association for Regional Cooperation , initially known as the Indian Ocean Rim Initiative, is an international organization with 18 member states...
(IOR-ARC) and South Asia Foundation (SAF).
In 1963, he was the Special Commissioner of Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
to investigate Buddhist-Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
clashes in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. He was the founder Director of the United Nations Intellectual Property Organisation where he acted as advisor to 36 Governments. He was made a President's Counsel in the 1980's. Kadirgamar was the author of a number of scholarly articles published in international legal journals such as the Modern Law Review
Modern Law Review
The Modern Law Review is a law review published in the United Kingdom by John Wiley & Sons and which has traditionally maintained close academic ties with the Law Department of the London School of Economics....
, The South African Law Journal and The Conveyancer and Property Lawyer.
Political career
Although he had never been actively involved in politics before, and had never even addressed a political rally, he was selected as national list MPNational List Member of Parliament
A National List Member of Parliament is an unelected Member of Parliament who is appointed by a political party or an independent group to the Parliament of Sri Lanka. The number of national list MPs allocated to a contending party or an independent group depends on the proportion to their share...
in 1994 on the People's Alliance
People's Alliance
People's Alliance may refer to:*The People's Alliance , Belgian political party which split in 2001 into the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie and Spirit...
(PA) list for the General Elections
Elections in Sri Lanka
Elections in Sri Lanka gives information on election and election results in Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. The president is elected for a six year term by the people...
. Following the victory of the PA, he was appointed Foreign Minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
in the PA government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga
Chandrika Kumaratunga
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga born June 29, 1945) was the 4th Executive president of Sri Lanka, serving from November 12, 1994 to November 19, 2005. The daughter of two former Prime Ministers, she was also the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party until end of 2005...
. he held the post till 2001, playing a significant role in having the LTTE banned internationally. The United States and the United Kingdom banned the LTTE in the late 1990's depriving them of their primary source of funding.
After the defeat of the government in 2001, he became special adviser on Foreign Affairs to the President. Despite being a Tamil, he strongly supported the Bandaranaike government's policy of not negotiating with the Tamil Tigers insurgents in northern Sri Lanka after failed peace talks in 1995. He has also been critical of the Norwegian mediators in the period 2001 to 2004, claiming they have been biased toward the Tamil Tigers.
On 20 November 2003, Kadirgamar declared his candidacy for the position of Secretary-General
Commonwealth Secretary-General
The Commonwealth Secretary-General is the head of the Commonwealth Secretariat, the central body which has served the Commonwealth of Nations since its establishment in 1965, and responsible for representing the Commonwealth publicly...
of the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
. He stood with the support of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, which was critical of incumbent Don McKinnon
Don McKinnon
Sir Donald Charles "Don" McKinnon, ONZ, GCVO is a former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand. He was the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations from 2000 until 2008.-Early life:...
's opposition to Zimbabwean involvement in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2003
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2003
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2003 was the eighteenth Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in Abuja, Nigeria, between 5 December and 8 December 2003, and hosted by President Olusegun Obasanjo....
, at which Zimbabwe withdrew from the organisation. In doing so, Kadirgamar broke the convention of not challenging incumbents for the position, which is usually appointed by consensus. However, at the vote, held in early December, he was defeated by the New Zealander, with 11 members voting for him against 40 for McKinnon.
Following the victory of the United People's Freedom Alliance
United People's Freedom Alliance
The United People's Freedom Alliance is a political alliance in Sri Lanka. The current leader of the United People's Freedom Alliance is Mahinda Rajapaksa and Susil Premajayantha is the general secretary of UPFA.The alliance was formed by:...
in the April 2, 2004 Sri Lankan legislative elections
Sri Lankan parliamentary election, 2004
Parliamentary elections were held in Sri Lanka on 2 April 2004. The ruling United National Party of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was defeated, winning only eighty two seats in the 225-member Sri Lankan parliament. The opposition United People's Freedom Alliance won 105 seats...
, he was mentioned as a possible candidate for Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is the functional head of the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. However, the President is both head of state and head of government in Sri Lanka...
, but on April 6 President Kumaratunga appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Percy Mahendra "Mahinda" Rajapaksa ; ; born November 18, 1945) is the 6th and current President of Sri Lanka and Commander in Chief of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. A lawyer by profession, Rajapaksa was first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 1970, and served as prime minister from April 6,...
to the post. Four days later, however, he was appointed foreign minister again in the new cabinet.
Religious views
Kadirgamar was born to a Christian family but he brought a proposal to the UN to make the Buddhist holy day, Vesak Day an international celebration day.Political Views
During a 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...
interview he was asked if he thought he was a traitor to the Tamil people since he was a minister in a Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
-dominated government. He said "People who live in Sri Lanka are first and foremost Sri Lankans, then we have our race and religion, which is something given to us at birth". "We have to live in Sri Lanka as Sri Lankans tolerating all races and religion".
Death
On August 12, 2005, around 2300 (UTCCoordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
+6), Kadirgamar was shot by an LTTE sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
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...
as he was getting out of the swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
at his private residence in Cinnamon Gardens
Cinnamon Gardens
Cinnamon Gardens is a suburb in Colombo, Sri Lanka located 3 kilometers south-east from Colombo city centre. Cinnamon Gardens is named from the former Cinnamon plantation in this area. In the year 1789, there were of Cinnamon trees in Cinnamon Gardens...
. Early reports indicate he was shot twice in the head, once in the neck, and once in the body. He was rushed to the Colombo National Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His hospital report indicates that he died as a result of his wounds.
It is widely believed around the world that Kadirgamar's assassins belong to LTTE, a group banned as a Terrorist Organization by a number of countries including the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
primary due to his efforts. An overwhelming majority of Sri Lankans, hold them responsible due to the fact that Kadirgamar was responsible for getting the US among many countries to classify the LTTE as a terrorist organization. The Tamil Tigers have denied responsibility for the killing, and have stated that any damage made to their international reputation by Lakshman Kadirgamar was already done, and they would not risk the cease-fire agreement by carrying out this assassination.
Kadirgamar on many occasions mentioned the LTTE's threats to his life. Speaking to The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
, he said "They (LTTE) can get me anytime. I get very serious reports things are hotting up".
International reaction
Neighboring India condemned what the foreign ministry described as a "terrorist crime" and offered its full support.U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
, who last met Mr Kadirgamar in June, condemned the assassination of Sri Lanka's foreign minister as a "senseless murder and vicious act of terror" and urged Sri Lankans not to let it lead to resumed civil war. She praised Kadirgamar as a man of "dignity, honor and integrity, who devoted his life to bringing peace to Sri Lanka".
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
said in a statement quoted by the AFP
Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse is a French news agency, the oldest one in the world, and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. It is also the largest French news agency. Currently, its CEO is Emmanuel Hoog and its news director Philippe Massonnet...
news agency: "Sri Lanka has lost a deeply respected statesman dedicated to peace and national unity."
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...
's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer
Alexander Downer
Alexander John Gosse Downer is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was Foreign Minister of Australia from March 1996 to December 2007, the longest-serving in Australian history...
paid tribute to Kadirgamar saying he played a key role in bringing forward the peace process in Sri Lanka. "Lakshman Kadirgamar was an eminent statesman and a distinguished representative of Sri Lanka," he said. "He was a man of moderation who sought the path of peace and worked tirelessly for his country."
Peace brokers Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
also condemned the assassination, with Foreign Minister Jan Petersen
Jan Petersen
Jan Petersen is a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party.He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Akershus in 1981, and was re-elected on six occasions. He had previously served as a deputy representative during the term 1973–1977. From 2001 to 2005, when the second cabinet...
describing it as "an atrocious crime and a tragedy for Sri Lanka."
Anecdotes
Kadirgamar was known for his combative and ready wit. When Shane WarneShane Warne
Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
justified 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...
's decision to not play 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...
during the 1996 Cricket World Cup
Cricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
due to the terrorist threat by saying that he can be targeted by a drive-in bomber while he is shopping, Kadirgamar is reported to have said "Shopping is for sissies."
Kadirgamar commented later "There was a storm of protest in 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...
. A TV interviewer asked me whether I had ever played cricket. I said I had played before he was born - without helmets and thigh guards, on matting wickets that were full of holes and stones, and I had my share of broken bones to show of it. My friend the Australian foreign minister was drawn into the fray. He phoned me. We decided to cool things down... When the whole episode was over I sent a bouquet of flowers to my Australian counterpart. Flowers are also for sissies."
Legacy
Kadirgamar is considered as the finest foreign minister Sri Lanka ever had, due to his successful efforts of changing international opinion on Sri Lanka and the LTTE. His efforts in getting the LTTE listed as a terrorist organization held to its ultimate defeat in 2009. The Government of Sri Lanka awarded him its highest highest national honor Sri LankabhimanyaSri Lankabhimanya
Sri Lankabhimanya is the highest National Honor of Sri Lanka awarded by the President of Sri Lanka on behalf of the Government. It is conventionally used as a title or prefix to the name of the person who received the award. It is the highest civil honour conferred for exceptionally outstanding...
posthumously. The Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies
Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies
Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies is a Sri Lankan research institute in the area of international affairs. Inaugurated on 10 August 2006 it is named after Lakshman Kadirgamar a former Minister of Foreign Affairs. Its current Director-General is C.A.N....
a think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
in international affairs was established in his memory an year after his assassination. A statue of Kadirgamar has been erected at the Liberty roundabout in Colombo.
See also
- List of assassinations of the Sri Lankan Civil War
- Murder of journalist Relangi SelvarajahRelangi SelvarajahRelangi Selvarajah was a popular Tamil broadcaster and a one time actress. She was assassinated by unknown assailants on August 12 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.-Biography:...
- Sri Lankan civil warSri Lankan civil warThe 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...
- Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic StudiesLakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic StudiesLakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies is a Sri Lankan research institute in the area of international affairs. Inaugurated on 10 August 2006 it is named after Lakshman Kadirgamar a former Minister of Foreign Affairs. Its current Director-General is C.A.N....
External links
- United Nations Year of Dialogue among civilizations
- Ask Lakshman Questions and Answers
- Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar's Address to The International Conference on War-Affected Children
- Obituary on BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
- Lakshman Kadirgamar was deeply committed to lasting solution - Mano Wijeyeratne
- A Memorial Essay by Arjuna Hulugalle
- Ardent Campaigner Against Terrorism by Adam Roberts