13.7.2008

The Leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF)MP and Opposition Leader Appapilai Amirthalingam was brutally gunned down at his residence at No 410/27 , Bullers Road, Colombo 7 , in the night around 7.30 by a group of Tamil youth on 13th July 2008. Mr. Vettivelu Yogeswaran , the MP for Jaffna was also killed while the MP for Udupiddi , Murugesu Sivasithamparam was admitted to General Hospital Colombo with severe bullet injuries. Mr Sivasithamparan was a Deputy Speaker and a Deputy Chairman of Committees. While the MP for Udupiddi , Murugesu Sivasithamparam ho was also injured in the incident was admitted to General Hospital Colombo with severe bullet injuries. Mr Sivasithamparan was a Deputy Speaker and a Deputy Chairman of Committees

The very next morning, the self styled “Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam” (LTTE) denied their involvement in the assassination and expressed their “distress”, “outrage” and the “tragic demise of the TULF leader” in media . They stated: “The LTTE is not in any way involved in the incident . Diabolical forces are at work to discredit the organization and disrupt the current pace talks between the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka”.

Ms. Mangaikarissiamma Amirthalingam (52), the wife of the late Member of Parliament Appapillai Amirthalingam paid a glowing tribute to the two Sinhalese Policemen who were the personal body guards of the late MP. At the inquest she stated she had “complete faith” in the security guards who were Sinhalese: “They are very loyal. Nissanka in spite of being a Sinhalese carried out his duties very well”. Nissanka was one of the bodyguards. Regarding the assailants, she said : “I believe my husband was shot by the visitors and they were in turn shot by the security guards”. She knew two of the killers well and identified them as Vishu and Aloysius. She ought to know as she had close contacts with the Tamil youth including those involved in LTTE criminal activities. She had also made fiery speeches at political rallies to rally the Tamil Youth. There is nothing worse than to be killed in your own home after serving them snacks and tea and knowing fully well that those whom they killed had complete trust in them.

The TULF leader Appapillai Amrithalingam , born on 26th August 1927, won the Kankesanthurai seat by a majority of 26,000 votes against an Independent candidate to be the Leader of the Opposition. The TULF became the second largest political party with 18 seats in the 1977 Parliamentary general election . He had his secondary education at Meikander Tamil School in his hometown and later at Victoria College, Chulipuram, Jaffna and obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Ceylon , Colombo. Thereafter he entered Law College, Colombo and practiced as an Advocate.

Another TULF stalwart and MP for Jaffna, Vettivulu Yogeswaran had won by a majority of 9000 votes defeating the sitting member who polled only 900. Born on 5th February 1934 MP Yogeswaran was also killed in the incident. He was an attorney –at- Law and was educated at St. Johns College and at St. Patricks College Jaffna.

The two TULF members lived with their families in the same residence with Mr Amirthalingam occupying the bottom floor and Mr Yogeswaran occupying the top floor. On the fateful day a group of three Tamil youth arrived recognized as a yellow taxi/ three wheeler around 6.30 in the evening. They were representatives of the LTTE and were expected by the TULF MP’s for a discussion . The Security Guards were instructed by both TULF leaders Amirthalingam and Yogeswaran not to “body search” lest it be misunderstood as an insult by the visitors . This was to be their fatal mistake. Mr. Amirthalingam , Mr Yogerswaran , Mr Sivasithamparan had provided all legal support to the LTTE cadres known as the “boys”. They had known the three ‘visitors’ who made the appointment to hold discussions as they had held such “Talks” at least on three earlier occasions in the same house . So did the witnesses who survived the attack. But this time, what they did not know was what mattered most. They did not know they were assassins in the pay of the LTTE to kill the TULF leaders in the style of the Sicilian ‘mafia’ . They had opened fire at point blank range only after enjoying the tea and snacks served to them. The “mafia” also “kills” after entertaining their victim.

Sub Inspector Thambyrajah Kandasamy stated there were six security guards including him on duty in the house. They knew the arrival of the ‘visitors’ around 5.30 to 6.30 on Thursday (13th) evening. Mr Amirthalingam had been invited for dinner at the Taj Samudra hosted by the Indian High Commissioner in honor of the Indian Prime Minister’s special envoy Mr. B.G. Desmukh . Mr. Amirthalingam and Mr Yogeswaran who were watching a Televison program went upstairs when informed of the arrival of the expected “visitors”. Ms. Amrithalingam had stated that she would wait as she was expecting a call from London by her son Doctor Ravi . Sub Inspector Thambyrajah (39), of the Ministerial Security Division (MSD) was in charge of Mr Amirthalingam’s security was in charge of the Security. The Security guards saw Mr. Yogeswaran signaling them to let them in after Sathyamoorty who was on duty at the entrance finished checking the identity cards. He had been given specific instructions not to proceed with a ‘body check’ so that there will no room for any ‘misunderstanding’ or insult . Security guards Lakshman and Ananda had gone upstairs to get ready to accompany my Amirthalingam for dinner. About twenty minutes later, shot rang out from the direction of the top ‘floor’. The security guards ran up via the rear entrance to see Mr Amirtalingam across a chair bleeding profusely. So was Mr Yogeswaran lying on the ground bleeding Mr. Sivasithamparan was leaning against a all with blood ‘gushing’ from his shoulder. Mr. Sivasithamparan was admitted to the Colombo General hospital with serious injuries while the tow others has succumbed to their injuries.

The LTTE will deny anything in which they have been involved. Even after an Indian Court of law convicted the LTTE leader, his Deputy and others of killing the former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, the LTTE denies. What does this imply? The history of the LTTE has proved their unreliability and cunning time and again be they negotiations with the Government , signing Peace Agreements or undertakings given to UN Special Envoys and UN Agencies .

It transpired later that the assassins had been in the Colombo ‘safe’ house, a distance of just about ten minutes away from their ‘target’ . They had been there for over ‘three months’ to plan out the “modus- operandi’ for the assassinations.