T. Maheswaran
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article is currently subject to editing restrictions, following a dispute resolution consensus. Before making any non-minor changes or before reverting changes, please report the issue at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Sri Lanka Reconciliation#Issues. Please do not remove this message until the restrictions have been removed. |
T. Maheswaran (full name Thiyagarajah Maheswaran) (Tamil:தியாகராஜா மகேஸ்வரன்) (18 June 1960 – 1 January 2008) was an ethnic Tamil Sri Lankan Member of Parliament (MP) from Colombo. He belonged to the main opposition United National Party and was critic of Rajapakse government's war against Tamil rebels. He was the former Hindu Affairs minister and a former Member of Parliament for Colombo District, escaped an assassination attempt on the final day of the 2004 election campaign in Colombo. He was assassinated by a gunshot on January 1, 2008 while worshipping at a Hindu temple with his family. Number of other devotees were also injured. The injured gunman has been apprehended and is in police custody in a hospital.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Biography
| 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 |
T. Maheswaran was born in Jaffna and attended the prestigious St Johns College. He was a successful businessman before becoming a politician with the United National Party. He was one of the first minority Tamil politician to join a majority Sinhalese dominated political party from the south after the commencement of the Sri Lankan civil war. During the UNP rule he was known for not following party regulations regarding voting for emergency regulations. He always voted to rescind it. He was also known for his efforts to high light the Human rights situation affecting the minority Sri Lankan Tamils both in the parliament and to the local media. Generally he had voiced support for the war effort against the LTTE but had highlighted the civilian repercussions. Just before his death, he had accused the rival Eelam People's Democratic Party as being behind the rash of murders targeting civilians in the Jaffna peninsula. Just before his death, his security staff was reduced from 11 to 2 by the government after the budget speech.[2]
[edit] Assassination
He was shot dead by unknown gunman while attending the New Year prayers at Kotahena, Sivan Kovil around 10:35 local time (05:05 GMT) and later succumbed to his injuries at the Colombo General Hospital along with one Hindu pilgrim who was too attending to the prayers. He had escaped an earlier assassination attempt in 2004. The gunman is suspected to be an LTTE member according to a publication by Council on Foreign Relations[3]But UNP parliamentarians Johnston Fernando and Dayasiri Jayasekara accused the current government as responsible by saying that T. Maheswaran's plan to reveal Jaffna situation has led to his murder. The government has denied any responsibility.[4] To the accusation that Douglas Devananda a cabinet minister and leader of the EPDP political party was involved in his murder and had previously threatened T. Maheswaran, Douglas had denied any responsibility.[5]
According to the spokesperson of Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence, the gunman was wounded when Maheswaran's bodyguard returned fire and had been arrested and hospitalized.[6][7][8]He is the third prominent minority Tamil parliamentarian to be killed. Joseph Pararajasingham and Nadarajah Raviraj were the other parliamentarians who were critical of the war effort who were killed during the years 2006 to 2008.[9]
[edit] Reactions
- United National Party
According to the United National Party spokesperson, Maheswaran was killed as he was about to divulge the names of the paramilitary operatives who are responsible for daily killings of civilians in the minority dominated Jaffna peninsula as part of the ongoing Sri Lankan Civil War.[10]In June of 2007, he was very vocal in his opposition to the Expulsion of non-resident Tamils from Colombo.[11]
[edit] References
- ^ Sri Lankan Tamil MP shot dead at Hindu temple in Colombo (html). Times of India. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
- ^ Maheswaran’s pleas fell on deaf ears (html). Dilrukshi Handunnetti. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
- ^ "Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Sri Lanka, separatists)", Council on Foreign Relations, 2008-01-11. Retrieved on 2008-01-16.
- ^ Who killed T. Maheswaran (html). Retrieved on 2008-01-16.
- ^ All talk no show (html). Retrieved on 2008-01-16.
- ^ Sri Lanka opposition parliamentarian shot, killed (html). Reuters. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
- ^ Gunman held for shooting Tamil MP (html). Hindustan Times. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
- ^ Sri Lankan Tamil Lawmaker Shot Dead Inside a Temple (html). Jay Shankar. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
- ^ Sri Lankan Tamil MP assassinated in temple (html). Amal Jayasinghe. Retrieved on 2008-01-03.
- ^ UNP wants interpol probe on Maheswaran (html). Arthur Wamanan. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
- ^ Lanka opposition Tamil MP Maheswaran shot dead (html). Asian Tribune. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
[edit] See also
Assassinated parliamentarians in 2007-2008
