- Kousalyan killed in ambush by Sri Lanka Paramilitary
[TamilNet, February 07, 2005]
Mr. E. Kousalyan, head of the Liberation Tigers' political
division for Batticaloa-Amparai district was killed in an ambush on
the highway to Batticaloa 7 February 2005, Monday night around 7.45,
Sri Lanka military sources said. Three persons who were travelling
with him were killed and four were injured including two policemen
in the attack which took place between Sri Lanka army garrisons at
Welikanda and Punanai, northwest of Battialoa, according to the SLA.
Mr. Kousalyan was traveling with Mr. Ariyanayagam Chandra Nehru,
former TNA MP for Amparai district, who was seriously injured in the
ambush.
Mr. Kousalyan is the most senior LTTE official to be killed after
Colombo and Tigers signed a cease fire in February 2002.
He was returning from Vanni after discussing the expansion plans for
Tsunami rehabiltation in the east, LTTE sources said. The military
identified two of the dead as Mathimaran and Kumanan, both members
of the LTTE. The injured policemen were providing escort to Mr.
Chandra Nehru's vehicle.
Liberation Tigers blamed paramilitary operatives working with
the Sri Lankan armed forces for the attack.
Meanwhile, LTTE officials in Kilinochchi scotched rumours that
Mr. S. Thamilenthi, Head of LTTE's FInancial Division, was among the
killed in the ambush. "Mr. Thamilenthi is in Kilinochchi", one of
them said.LTTE officials added that Mr. Kousalyan was accompanied by
Vinothan, Puhalan, Senthamil and Nithimaran in his journey Monday
from Kilinochchi to Batticaloa.
- UN Secretary-General condemns the killings of Kousalyan
and colleagues
[TamilNet, February 09, 2005]
The UN Secretary-General on Tuesday condemned the killings of Mr. E.
Kaushalyan, a senior political leader of the LTTE Eastern Province
Division, and several colleagues traveling with him, said a UN
statement extending Kofi Annan's sincere condolences and deepest
sympathies to the families of all the victims. The Secretary-General
urged all parties to exercise calm and restraint so as to avoid
actions that could disrupt the Cease-fire Agreement of February 2002
or the long-term interest of peace in Sri Lanka.
Full text of the UN statement follows:
"New York, 8 February 2005 - Statement Attributable to the
Spokesman for the Secretary-General on Sri Lanka
"The Secretary-General condemns the killings of Mr. E.
Kaushalyan, a senior political leader of the LTTE Eastern
Province Division, and several colleagues traveling with him,
when their vehicle came under attack yesterday evening. He
extends his sincere condolences and deepest sympathies to the
families of all the victims of these callous killings.
"The Secretary-General urges all parties to exercise calm and
restraint so as to avoid actions that could disrupt the
Cease-fire Agreement of February 2002 or the long-term interest
of peace in Sri Lanka."
- Colombo cannot disclaim responsibility for Kausalyan
killing- TNA
[TamilNet, February 09, 2005]
The killings of LTTE Political Head for Batticaloa and
Amparai districts Mr.E.Koushalyan, TNA former parliamentarian
Mr.A. Chandra Nehru and four others on February 7 raise question
as to "how such an attack was carried in an area, which has a
strong Armed Forces presence. The question also arises as to who
could have carried out such an attack without being deterred by
the strong presence of Armed Forces," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, TNA
parliamentary group leader in a statement made in parliament
Wednesday morning, parliamentary sources said.
The full text of the statement follows: -
"Mr. Speaker,
I seek you leave to move the adjournment of parliament for the
purpose of raising the hereinafter-stated matter of urgent
public importance.
1. The former TNA Member of parliament for the Amparai district
Mr.Ariyanayagam Chandra Nehru, Mr.E.Koushalyan, the political
leader of the LTTE for the Batticaloa and Amparai districts,
three other LTTE cadres, and the driver of the vehicle in which
the aforesaid persons travelled towards Batticaloa were shot and
killed on 7th February 2005 around 7.45 p.m. at Pilaiyarady
between Welikanda army camp and the Punnanai army camp, on the
Pollonnorawa-Batticaloa road. One other LTTE cadre and two
police officers who travelled in the same vehicle were injured.
2. This attack occurred in government-controlled territory in
the Pollonnorawa district within the North Central Province. The
following army camps exist along the main road leading to
Batticaloa in close proximity to, and not too far from the scene
of attack. (a) The Minneriya army camp (b) The Welikanda army
camp (c) The Punnanai army camp; within the Pollonnorawa
district and, (d) the Navallady army camp (c) The Valaichchenai
army camp; within the Batticaloa district.
The said attack as stated earlier occurred between the Welikanda
and the Punnanai army camps both of which are situated in the
Pollonnorawa district. Substantial Army personnel man the
aforesaid camps. Between the aforesaid army camps are several
army posts also manned by army personnel.
3. This attack was clearly planned and pre-arranged. Several
persons have participated in the attack, and the victims were
properly targeted.
4. Other than the two police officers, none of others who
travelled in the vehicle were armed. There is no evidence to
suggest that there was an exchange of gunfire. The conclusion is
irresistible that un-armed persons were shot and killed
5. The question arises as to how such an attack was carried in
an area, which has a strong Armed Forces presence. The question
also arises as to who could have carried out such an attack
without being deterred by the strong presence of Armed Forces in
the said area. The government cannot disclaim responsibility for
an attack, which has occurred in government-controlled territory
with a strong Armed Forces presence. These factors have raised
serious questions in the public mind in regard to the role
and/or the complicity of the government and its Armed Forces in
the attack.
6. This attack is clearly aimed at destabilising the peace
process. It is well known that there are some sinister forces in
the country that have a vested interest in destabilizing the
peace process.
7. The government's action in the past several months despite
verbal assurances of a commitment to the peace process have had
the effect of delaying and frustrating the furtherance of the
peace process in a meaningful way.
8. Despite the tsunami disaster, and the immense destruction and
devastation caused to the North East, and despite efforts being
made to establish a suitable mechanism to undertake tsunami
related development activities in the North East, it has not
been possible to set-up such a mechanism due to delays on the
part of the government.
9. This attitude on the part of the government calls into grave
question the sincerity of the government's commitment to the
furtherance of the peace process and even to meaningful
participation by the Tamil speaking Tamil and Muslim peoples of
the North East in the post-tsunami related development
activities. It also encourages the commission of acts that
further destabilize the peace process such as the above referred
to attack of 7th February.
10. We wish to strongly impress upon the government that this
unhealthy trend needs to be immediately corrected if the peace
process is to have any chance of success."
"The cowardly act of the Sri Lankan government has taken away
Kousalyan and his colleagues from us. Kousalyan came back to
Batticaloa with many dreams. He came back with ambitious plans
to rebuild this land, devastated by the Tsunami and impoverished
by the war imposed by the Sinhala chauvinist state", said Mr. S.
P Thamilchelvan, head of LTTE's political division on Thursday,
speaking at the funeral of Mr. E. Kousalyan, at Thandiyadi
Martyr's Memorial in Batticaloa.
"We thought the Tsunami disaster which killed Tamils, Muslims
and Singhalese, regardless of their race and class, would have
driven some sense into Sinhala political leaders. Kousalyan's
murder shows they have not changed. They are still intent on
crushing the Tamil nation by foul means", said senior LTTE
leader, Mr. V. Balakumar in his address.
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