U.S. deplores Raviraj assassination

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 November 2006, 14:56 GMT]
The United States has deplored the assassination of Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj. The U.S. Embassy in Colombo expressed deepest sympathy for the loss to the family of Mr. Raviraj, to his parliamentary colleagues, and to the people of Sri Lanka, who have been "unjustly robbed of his energy and talent." The press statement further said "it is critical that crimes such as the murder of Nadarajah Raviraj not go unpunished."

Full text of the press statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Colombo follows:

Release no. 20061110


U.S. Deplores Murder of Nadaraja Raviraj

COLOMBO, November 10, 2006 – The United States deplores the assassination on November 10 of Mr. Nadarajah Raviraj, member of the Sri Lankan Parliament. We express our deepest sympathy for this loss to the family of Mr. Raviraj, to his parliamentary colleagues, and to the people of Sri Lanka, who have been unjustly robbed of his energy and talent.

It is critical that crimes such as the murder of Nadarajah Raviraj not go unpunished. We urge the government to begin an immediate investigation into the circumstances of his killing and to find, arrest, and prosecute those responsible on the most urgent basis.