Tamils mourn Ponnambalam's death

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 January 2000, 23:59 GMT]
The killing of Kumar Ponnambalam on January 5 has triggered a wave of emotion across the Tamil Diaspora. Sadness and anger has been expressed by Tamil community organisations and individuals in statements and messages on bulletin boards. Ponnmabalam's death has arguably been the main topic of conversation amongst Tamils recently - as is his last public letter to President Chandrika Kumaratunge and the latter's recent stern warning to supporters of the Liberation Tigers.

The news of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress leader's killing was reported within the hour to Tamil communities across the world by Tamil language radios, television stations and also via the Internet.

A well known politician, Ponnambalam stature amongst Tamils was enhanced by the reputation of his late father, G.G. Ponnambalam.

Whilst Tamil community organisations issued statements expressing shock and grief, Tamil media began broadcasting background material: most reports seemed to focus on Ponnambalam's latest letter to Sri Lanka President Kumaratunge, along with the stern warning the latter had issued in her swearing in speech to those who supported the LTTE.

The widely held belief among expatriate Tamils is that the government of President Kumaratunge must have either authorised Ponnambalam's killing, or the assassins were sufficiently confident of tacit approval from the authorities.

Ponnambalam often deliberately stirred political controversy, challenging the Sri Lankan government and President publicly on matters related to human and political rights for Tamils.

Whilst perceived as a shrewd and flamboyant politician by Tamils, he was also viewed - along with his father - as a strong champion of rights for Tamils, as the statements by many organisations highlighted.

He had been involved in numerous human rights applications by Tamils, and was involved in bringing to court the Krishanthy Kumaraswamy rape and murder case, a long running trial which led to the Chemmani mass graves issue, resulting in severe international embarrassment for the Sri Lankan government.

The Australian Federation of Tamil Associations (AFTA) in a statement said it "is shocked and grieved at the cold blooded murder of Kumar Ponnambalam, a human rights lawyer."

"Mr. Ponnampalam has been a fearless critic of the Sri Lankan government and its security forces for their blatant violations of human rights of the Tamil people," said AFTA.

"Tamils in Sri Lanka will miss the courageous voice of Kumar, as also by the hundreds of Tamil youth languishing in cruel detention centres across the island. As a human rights activist he was one of the very few lawyers who were prepared to appear on their behalf on humanitarian grounds," AFTA said.

"Kumar has relentlessly toiled to expose scores of rape cases and thousands of disappearances of Tamils in the hands of the Sri Lankan security forces and government backed militia," AFTA said.

The London based Tamil Information Centre (TIC) said in a statement that the killing "has shocked the Tamil community" and that the attack "posed further threats to the freedoms of expression, assembly and association" in Sri Lanka.

The Paris-based Tamil Centre for Human Rights (TCHR) said in a statement "Mr Ponnambalam was a brave and tireless champion of civil and political rights, and fundamental human rights. He was not afraid to speak out on Human rights and this has cost him his life. His assassination marks a tragic loss for all who strive for the cause of justice and human rights."

In a notable comment, the Liberation Tigers issued a statement from their London officers on the killing.

"The LTTE wishes to express its deep shock and profound grief over the brutal killing of Mr. Kumar Ponnambalam, a courageous Tamil leader who fearlessly exposed the hypocrisy of the Sinhala state and audaciously championed the cause of the Tamil nation," the statement said.

Other expressions of grief came from individual members of the Tamil Diaspora. A popular Canada-based Tamil website in its ‘talking point' section solicited comment on the killing, and received entries from around the world.

According to the webmaster, hundreds of Tamils wrote to the tamilcanadian.com discussion page during the first 24 hours alone.

"The overwhelming feeling was sadness and anger," the webmaster told TamilNet by email. "But a couple of people expressed satisfaction over the killing."

The US-based Tamil Sangam website said "Sangam has been deluged with messages from hundreds of US Tamils not only to express their sorrow, but also wanting to convey the angst of the thousands of their loved ones, trapped and powerless to speak up in that island."

Almost all the messages accused the Sri Lankan government of responsibility, said the webmasters, a sentiment reflected in the statements by the Tamil organisations.

"It is an irony that only ...days ago during a three hour long television interview, the Sri Lankan President had issued a stern warning to all her critics," said AFTA.

The organisation linked Ponnambalam's killing with that in early November of Atputharajah Nadarajah, chief editor of the popular Tamil weekly "Thinamurasu." Atputharajah was shot dead in his vehicle in another Colombo suburb.

Whilst Sri Lankan officials suggested the Liberation Tigers were responsible, as the editor was also a Parliamentarian of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) which opposes the LTTE, many Tamils believe he was killed due to his influential paper's harsh criticism of the government and support for the Tamil cause.

"These [two] gruesome incidents appear to expose a trend suggestive of attempts by forces close to the government circles to silence the voices raised against the genocidal oppression of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka," said AFTA.

"Everyone knew that Mr Ponnambalam had been facing a threat by the Chandrika government for a long time," said the Tamil Centre for Human Rights.

"On certain International platforms Mr Ponnambalam stated openly that President Chandrika Kumaratunga was "after his blood". Recently he stated that the government was "looking for his blood". Today this has become a tragic and sad reality," the TCHR said.

The Tamil Information Centre was more circumspect, saying "The government is unable to prevent deliberate killings"

"Its believed that "deaths squads" freely operating in the capital Colombo are responsible for these killings," the TIC said, calling on the international community to "monitor the situation in Sri Lanka."

Suspicion lingers on the Tamil paramilitary groups operating with the Sri Lankan armed forces.

The presence of EPDP leader, Douglas Devananda at the scene soon after Atputharajah's shooting in November was inconsistent with the claim that the Liberation Tigers were responsible believe journalists in Colombo. "As the gunmen could still have been at large, Douglas would have to be pretty sure of himself to show up there," said one.

Whilst Ponnambalam's killing has been claimed by hitherto unknown ‘National Front Against Tigers', in a Sinhala-language statement sent to Sri Lanka's media, Tamil paramilitaries are thought to have carried out the killing also.

With the exception of the Tamil United Liberation Front, none of the Colombo-based Tamil political groups have condemned the killings.