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Kadir killed by politicos: Tamil group
From Neville de Silva in London
In a petition urging the European Union to lift its ban on LTTE delegations and other restrictions, a Tamil group is insinuating that former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was killed by leading Sinhala politicians.

The petitioners want the UK, as the current president of the EU to take immediate steps to act on all their requests “and inform us of your actions.”
In a poorly-written petition that is being circulated in several Tamil-owned grocery shops, news agents and other establishments in the UK for signature, a group calling itself European Tamil Initiative for Peace, suggests that Kadirgamar was killed because of his close association with the JVP and intended to continue his political career with JVP help after President Chandrika Kumaratunga retired from office.

“It is reported that President Kumaratunga warned Lakshman Kadirgamar not to have any meeting with the JVP leaders without her knowledge. In spite of the warning Lakshman Kadirgamar created close relationship with the JVP when the President was away because he felt that his political carrier (sic) would come to an end when President’s political term ends. Kadirgamar planned to continue his political carrier through the JVP and JHU’s support which she didn’t like,” says the petition addressed to “Political Heads of EU Countries, Westminster and Political Leaders of the other Nations.”
The petition which completely exonerates the LTTE of any blame for the assassination and points the finger at the government and the security services is the handiwork of the LTTE, says some Tamil groups here who passed on a copy to The Sunday Times.

Blaming the police for raiding the house from where the shots were fired at Kadirgamar, two hours after the killing, the petition says that “the evidence produced in the courts could have been planted by the raiding party as usually happens in Sri Lanka.”

It questions why President Kumaratunga kept silent when “Scotland Yard’s intelligence offered an open voluntary help to investigate the murder.”
The petitioners “request the EU presidency to withdraw this one-sided and partial statement with immediate effect and inform the EU presidency that it has violated the Rule of Law by apportioning the blame before the due process of law and indicated that the Norwegian Government facilitation to the Peace Process between Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE is a failure because it is Norway that is entirely in control of LTTE delegation’s visit to EU Member states not the LTTE.”

Stating that “in order to safe the Cease Fire and Peace Process we request the followings to be undertaken by the EU presidency,” the petitioners urge, among other things; not to place the LTTE on the EU ban lists of organisations; to lift the UK ban on the LTTE as it is not based on reality and fairness; to initiate public inquiries into the killings of all Tamil politicians, human rights activists, journalists and all civilians during the current cease fire.• to urge the Sri Lanka Government to implement the Post-Tsunami Operation Joint Mechanisn.

It is not known when the group intends to complete its signature campaign and present the petition to the British Government that will hold the EU presidency until the end of the year.

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