During the Sri Lankan Civil War militant groups, paramilitary groups and government security forces were accused of assassinating many public figures on suspicion of being sympathizers or informants, in retaliation for killings and attacks, to eliminate competition from rival groups, or to stifle dissent. The following is a list of notable assassinations of the Sri Lankan Civil War, attributed by various self-admissions, NGOs, United Nations agencies, foreign governments, and the state-owned media of Sri Lanka
Background The Sri Lankan Civil War was in a conflict on the island-nation of Sri Lanka. Between 1983 and 2009 there was an intermittent civil war, predominantly between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist militant organisation who during this time fought for the creation of an independent state named Tamil Eelam in the North and East of the island. The UN has estimated that up to 100,000 people (combatants and civilians) may have been killed during the 26 years of fighting. The civil war has caused significant harm to the population and economy of the country, as well as leading to the ban of the LTTE as a terrorist organisation in 32 countries including the United States, Australia, the countries of the European Union and Canada. The war ended in May 2009 when the Sri Lankan military defeated the LTTE. Numerous human rights violations have been committed by both the Sri Lankan military and the LTTE, including the assassination of individuals by both sides. A majority of the notable figures on this list were members of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka, and in many instances were allegedly assassinated by the LTTE for taking moderate political stances, or for rejecting militant action and attempting to engage in the democratic process in Sri Lanka.
Assassinations
Heads of state and government Victim Position Date Location Method Perpetrator(s) Rajiv Gandhi Former Prime Minister of India 21 May 1991 Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, IndiaSuicide bombing LTTE is blamed, but they denied it until 2006. In 2006, LTTE chief negotiator Anton Balasingham said "(Rajiv Gandhi's assassination) is a great tragedy, a monumental historical tragedy for which we deeply regret". Ranasinghe Premadasa President of Sri Lanka 1 May 1993 Colombo Suicide bombing LTTE is blamed.
Ministers Victim Position Date Location Method Perpetrator(s) Ranjan Wijeratne Minister of Defence; UNP MP 2 March 1991 Colombo Car bomb LTTE is blamed. Lalith Athulathmudali Former cabinet minister; DUNF (formerly UNP) MP (Colombo District) 23 April 1993 Kirulapana, Colombo Shot President Premadasa was found to be directly responsible for the assassination of Lalith Athulathmudali. Gamini Dissanayake Former cabinet minister; UNP presidential candidate 24 October 1994 Thotalanga, Grandpass, Colombo Suicide bombing LTTE is blamed. Weerasinghe Mallimarachchi Former cabinet minister; UNP MP (Colombo District) LTTE is blamed. G. M. Premachandra Former cabinet minister; former chief minister; former UNP MP (Kurunegala District) LTTE is blamed. C. V. Gunaratne Minister of Industrial Development; SLFP MP (Colombo District) 8 June 2000 Ratmalana, Colombo Suicide bombing LTTE is blamed. Lakshman Kadirgamar Minister of Foreign Affairs; SLFP MP (National List) 12 August 2005 Colombo Sniper LTTE is blamed by the government and European Union, but the LTTE denied involvement in it. D. M. Dassanayake Nation Building Minister; SLFP MP (Puttalam District) 8 January 2008 Ja-Ela, Gampaha District Roadside bombing LTTE is blamed. Jeyaraj Fernandopulle Minister of Highways & Road Development; SLFP MP (Gampaha District) 6 April 2008 Weliveriya, Gampaha District Suicide bombing LTTE is blamed.
Members of Sri Lankan parliament Victim Position Date Location Method Perpetrator(s) Alfred Duraiappah Former Independent MP (Jaffna); Independent Mayor of Jaffna 27 July 1975 Jaffna Shot LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran himself. M. Canagaratnam UNP (formerly TULF) MP (Pottuvil) 20 April 1980 Colombo Shot Shot by Prabhakaran and Uma Maheswaran in 1978, and succumbed to his wounds in 1980. A. Thiagarajah Former ACTC MP (Vaddukoddai); UNP candidate; former principal, Karainagar Hindu College 24 May 1981 Shot PLOTE and LTTE blamed. M. Alalasundaram Former TULF MP (Kopay) 2 September 1985 Thinnaveli, Jaffna Shot TELO is blamed. V. Dharmalingam Former TULF MP (Manipay) 2 September 1985 Manipay, Jaffna Shot TELO and RAW are blamed. A. L. Abdul Majeed Independent (formerly SLFP) MP (Muttur) 13 November 1987 Muttur, Trincomalee Shot LTTE is blamed. V. Yogeswaran Former TULF MP (Jaffna) 13 July 1989 Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo Shot LTTE is blamed. A. Amirthalingam Former Leader of the Opposition; leader of the TULF; TULF MP (National List) Sam Tambimuttu EPRLF MP (Batticaloa District) 7 May 1990 Colombo Shot LTTE is blamed. G. Yogasangari EPRLF MP (Jaffna District) 19 June 1990 Kodambakam, Madras, TN, India Grenade and gun attack LTTE is blamed. Ossie Abeygunasekara UNP MP (Colombo District) 24 October 1994 Thotalanga, Grandpass, Colombo Suicide bombing LTTE is blamed. Gamini Wijesekara UNP MP; Secretary, UNP A. Thangathurai TULF MP (Trincomalee District) 5 July 1997 Trincomalee Grenade and gun attack LTTE is blamed. M. E. H. Maharoof UNP MP (Trincomalee District) 20 July 1997 Trincomalee Shot LTTE is blamed by SPUR, a pro-government organisation. S. Shanmuganathan PLOTE MP (Vanni District) 15 July 1998 Irambaikkulam, Vavuniya District Roadside bombing LTTE is blamed. Neelan Tiruchelvam TULF MP (National List) 29 July 1999 Colombo Suicide bombing LTTE is blamed. Nadarajah Atputharajah(alias Ramesh) EPDP MP (Jaffna District); publisher of Thinamurasu newspaper 2 November 1999 Colombo Shot EPDP is blamed. Kingsley Rasanayagam TNA MP (Batticaloa District) 20 October 2000 Iruthayapuram, Batticaloa Shot LTTE is blamed. Nimalan Soundaranayagam TULF MP (Batticaloa District) 7 November 2000 Kiran, Batticaloa District Shot LTTE is blamed. Killed on the orders of Karuna Amman. A. Chandranehru Former TNA/TULF MP (Ampara District) 7 February 2005 Batticaloa District Ambush TMVP/Karuna Amman is blamed. Tamil National Force, a TMVP/ENDLF front, claimed responsibility. Joseph Pararajasingham TNA/TULF MP (Batticaloa District) 25 December 2005 Batticaloa Shot TMVP, EPDP and the government are blamed. The Government and the LTTE blame each other. S. Sivamaharajah Former TULF MP (Jaffna District); editor of Namathu Eelanadu (Our Eelam Nation) newspaper 20 August 2006 Tellippalai, Jaffna District Shot EPDP is blamed. The government is blamed by TNA. LTTE is blamed by SATP, a pro-government organisation. Nadarajah Raviraj TNA/TULF MP (Jaffna District); former Mayor of Jaffna 10 November 2006 Colombo Shot EPDP is blamed. TMVP and the government are blamed by the TNA. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, permanent secretary to the Ministry of Defence of the Government of Sri Lanka, was accused of involvement in the assassination by UTHR, a local human rights organisation. LTTE is blamed by the International Center for Strategic Defense. T. Maheshwaran UNP MP (Colombo District) 1 January 2008 Colombo Shot EPDP s blamed. The government is blamed by UNP. Wikileads stated that the Karuna Group was to be blamed. K. Sivanesan TNA MP (Jaffna District) 6 March 2008 A 9 highway, Mullaitivu District Roadside bombing Sri Lankan Army's LRRP is blamed. Shantha Kumara Punchihewa Former UNP MP (Vanni District); UNP organiser, Vavuniya District 6 October 2008 Anuradhapura Suicide bombing LTTE is blamed by government.
Provincial councillors Victim Position Date Location Method Perpetrator(s) P. Ganeshalingam Former EPRLF minister, North Eastern Provincial Council 28 January 1990 LTTE is blamed. P. Kirubakaran Former EPRLF Finance Minister, North Eastern Provincial Council 19 June 1990 Kodambakam, Madras, TN, India Grenade and gun attack LTTE is blamed. P. Sooriyamoorthy Former provincial councillor, deputy speaker, North- Eastern provincial council, Former Mayor Trincomalee district 25 May 2005 Trincomalee Shot LTTE blamed by the government. Janaka Perera UNP Leader of the Opposition, North Central Provincial Council; former Chief of Staff, Sri Lankan Army 6 October 2008 Anuradhapura Suicide bombing LTTE is blamed by the government. Sunil Dissanayaka UNP provincial councillor
Local councillors Victim Position Date Location Method Perpetrator(s) K. T. Pulendran Member of Vavuniya Urban Council, UNP organiser for Vavuniya District 19 January 1983 Vavuniya Shot Unknown S. Nadarajah Former TULF Chairman, Jaffna District Development Council 12 February 1988 LTTE is blamed. S. Sambandamoorthy Former TULF Chairman, Batticaloa District Development Council 7 March 1989 Chenkalady, Batticaloa District Shot LTTE is blamed. T. Jeyarajah Chairman, Chenkalady Pradeshiya Sabha 13 September 1994 Chenkalady, Batticaloa District Shot LTTE is blamed by the government. Thomas Anton Deputy Mayor of Batticaloa 26 October 1995 Batticaloa LTTE is blamed SATP, a pro-government organisation. Nagarmani Rajadurai Chairman, Mandur Pradeshiya Shaba 16 April 1996 Mandur, Batticaloa Shot LTTE is blamed by the government. Kandiah Amirthalingam Vice Chairman, Vakarai Pradeshiya Sabha 29 September 1996 Oddamavadi Shot LTTE is blamed by the government. Sarojini Yogeswaran TULF Mayor of Jaffna 17 May 1998 Jaffna Shot LTTE is blamed. Sankiliyan Force, suspected to be a front organisation for the LTTE, has claimed responsibility. Pon Sivapalan TULF Mayor of Jaffna 11 September 1998 Jaffna Claymore bomb attack LTTE is blamed. P. Kandasamy Member of Pradeshiya Sabha 14 February 1999 Avarankal Shot LTTE is blamed by the government. Veerahaththy Gunaratnam PLOTE Member, Pachchilaipalli Pradheshiya Sabha 5 May 1999 Vavuniya Shot Unknown M. Balasingham Member of Pradeshiya Sabha 12 May 1999 Urumpirai, Jaffna Shot LTTE is blamed by the government. T. Rajkumar Member of Pradeshiya Sabha 31 May 1999 Kandaramadam Shot LTTE is blamed by the government. Murugesu Gunaratnam(alias Vino) Former PLOTE Deputy Chairman, Kaluvanchikudi Pradeshiya Sabha; public relations officer 2 September 1999 Vavuniya Bomb LTTE is blamed. Vadivelu Vijeyaratnam(alias Sellakili Master) PLOTE Chairman, Point Pedro Urban Council 14 January 2000 Point Pedro, Jaffna District Shot Unknown Chelian Perinpanayagam Former Mayor of Batticaloa, writer, journalist 10 September 2000 Eastern Kalmunai Shot LTTE is blamed by UTHR, a local human right organisation.
Other politicians