Kumar Ponnambalam

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Kumar Ponnambalam (August 12, 1940 - January 5, 2000) was a prominent defence lawyer and a controversial minority Tamil nationalist politician from Sri Lanka. He was shot dead by unknown gunmen immediately after a suspected LTTE suicide bomb attack against the then president Chandrika Kumaratunga.[1]

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[edit] Biography

Kumar Ponnambalam was born in capital city of Colombo to an affluent and politically influential minority Sri Lankan Tamil family. His father G. G. Ponnambalam was also a prominent defense attorney and the leader of All Ceylon Tamil Congress, a party that was at times an ally of the ruling majority Sinhalese dominated United National Party in opposition to the Tamil Nationalistic tone of other Tamil political parties.[2]

Kumar Ponnambalam joined his father's Tamil Congress Party as a young politician, and eventually rose to its senior leadership. However after the demise of founder G. G. Ponnambalam, the party became moribund and had little or no electoral support.[3]

Kumar was noted for his appearance on behalf of youth apprehended by the state under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. He would work pro bona for both Tamil and Sinhalese clients.

Later on Kumar came to be known for his ardent press statements in support of the separatist militant group LTTE during the civil war viz. a vie the moderate Tamil United Liberation Front party line of supporting then ruling Peoples Alliance party.

His son Gajen Ponnambalam is a member of the current parliament, representing the Tamil National Alliance party. [4]

[edit] Assassination

Sri Lankan Conflict
Background
Sri Lanka • History of Sri Lanka
Origins of the Civil War
Origins of the Civil War
Black July • Riots and pogroms
Human rights • Allegations of state terror
Tamil militant groups
LTTE
LTTE • Attacks • Expulsion of Muslims from Jaffna
Current major figures
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Velupillai Prabhakaran
Karuna Amman
Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Sarath Fonseka
Indian Involvement
Operation Poomalai
Indo-Sri Lanka Accord
Indian Peace Keeping Force
Rajiv Gandhi • RAW
See also
Military of Sri Lanka
TMVP • EPDP
Notable assassinations • Child soldiers
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On the day of his assassination Mr Ponnambalam had been accompanied in his car from home by a Sinhalese man, known only as Shantha, who had become acquainted with him recently. He was shot twice in his car. His body was later found in the car on Ramakrishna Lane in Wellawatte suburb. Shantha was never apprehended. A previously unknown group, the National Front Against Terrorism, has claimed responsibility.[5]

His wife and the rebel group LTTE accused the government of ordering the murder.[6][7] International groups such as the International Jurists demanded an immediate impartial investigation[8]

Subsequent to the assassination, Tamil prisoners in the Kalutara prison rioted as a protest and 2 were killed in the process quelling it.[9]

[edit] Investigations

After his shooting in January of 2000 an ex reserve police constable named Sugath Ranasinghe had telephoned the CDB headquarters and informed that he was responsible for giving the contract to two underworld gunmen Moratuwa Saman and Sujeewa to kill Mr. Ponnambalam. Reserve police constable Ranasinghe had had his enlistment in the police cancelled as he had not reported to work for several months [10].

Mahen Ratwatte the controversial son of the then defence minister [11] and maternal uncle of the then serving president, General Anuruddha Ratwatte was alleged to have ordered the killing. Moratu Saman was subsequently murdered.[12]. It was alleged by the Sunday Leader [13] that he was shot in an attempt to prevent him from testifying against Mahen Ratwatte.

As the Attorney General had ruled that there was insufficient evidence to institute charges for the murder against Mahen Ratwatte as the sole evidence that was available was Sugath Ranasinghe's taped telephone conversation, which cannot be used for prosecution as he remained an accused.

Subsequent to allegations made by SSP Bandula Wickremasinghe as reported as "Startling Revelations of President Chandrika Kumaratunga's efforts to shield murderers of Kumar Ponnambalam and "Satana" Editor Rohana Kumara have been bared" in the prominent weekly magazine Sunday Leader[14], the Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga denied any involvement and directed the inspector general of police to hold an impartial investigation into the matter. There are no further reports into this murder investigation.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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