Sri Lankan State Terrorism Spreads To Paris, France

By Tamil Centre For Human Rights

With deep sadness and grief we, TCHR, publish this press release on the assassination carried out by the Sri Lankan military intelligence on a Tamil activist, a French citizen in Paris, France – Nadarajah Mathinthiran alias Parithi, nom de guerre Regan.

There is no doubt that this assassination was carried out by the Sri Lankan military intelligence which is directly under the Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Defence Secretary.

Last Thursday, 8 November 2012, Parithi left his office located at 341 rue de Pyrenees in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, at 9.00 pm (21.00 hrs). The assassin, who must have known Parithi’s daily movements precisely, was waiting outside his office. He cold-bloodedly opened fire on Parithi, killing him on the spot. Parithi’s colleagues who were with him were stunned at what they witnessed.

Parithi joined the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam – LTTE in 1983. He was injured in battle in 1988 and left the LTTE. Being an LTTE combatant he had participated in many battles against the Sri Lankan security forces.

He sought political asylum in France in 1990 and worked as an accounts clerk, living with his wife and daughter. In 2004, he became a full time activist and was in charge of the Tamil Coordinating Committee – TCC in Paris. He consistently supported the struggle for the right to self-determination of the Tamil people.

In 2004, during the so-called “peace time”, Parithi went to Sri Lanka. He was threatened and followed by the Sri Lanka intelligence service on his arrival at Colombo Airport until he went to the French embassy in Colombo and made a complaint. The French embassy in Colombo is well aware of this incident.

However, in April 2007, due to strong anti-LTTE lobbying, Parithi and thirteen other members of the TCC, were brought to justice by the French authorities. As a result, Parithi served a prison sentence until 2010. His re-appeal is still pending in the courts.

On leaving prison, he saw the devastated Tamil diaspora, shocked and grieved by the Mullivaighzhal massacres of May 2009. Parithi continued to serve the Tamil cause.

Last year, in October, there was an assassination attempt on him by a few mercenaries working with the Sri Lanka military intelligence. This attack took place a few yards away from where Parithi was assassinated last Thursday. During that incident, the attackers used batons and swords, but Parithi being an expert in martial arts, escaped this attempted assassination with a few injuries. During this incident two other colleagues of his were also injured.

The way last Thursday’s assassination took place proves that killings carried out by the military intelligence in Sri Lanka, have now moved to European capitals as well.

In the recent past, the Sri Lankan government transferred a few Sri Lankan military intelligence officials to European countries. Located outside Sri Lankan embassies, they maintain surveillance on Tamil activists who are working round the clock in foreign countries. It is believed that Pakistani military intelligence officials assist them.

We have personally seen in Paris, especially in the La Chapelle/Gare du Nord area, many Urdu-speaking men in gangs following Tamil activists and observing the movements of Tamils who go shopping there.

One of the electronic media has said of Parithi that, “Two weeks ago, the French legal proceedings sanctioned him a 10 months probation period that would have put him under close monitoring with restricted movement, including electronic monitoring. This term was to commence on Friday, and had it commenced, it would have been difficult for anyone to assassinate him, the legal sources further said.” (Excerpt)

If this is the case, this could be one of the clues to who the assassin is and how he knew about impending electronic monitoring of Parithi, due to start on the following day?

At the same time, geopolitics also plays a major role in this assassination. We cannot ignore the fact that, in the UN UPR review on 1 November 2012, 100 recommendations were rejected by Sri Lanka. One of the strongest of these (129.63), was made by France, and recommended that Sri Lanka:

“Create a reliable investigation commission consisting of professional and independent investigators to identify, arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of the Muttur murders – France.” (Excerpt from the draft report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review – A/HRC/WG.6/14/L.14 –)

Also one cannot ignore the speech of Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe in the same UPR process in which he said: “…At the same time, we were not complacent but tried our utmost to prevent and forestall acts of destabilization from within and outside the country. There are still some elements that support the LTTE’s cause of dismemberment and separation of our island nation. We are aware of these initiatives and will defeat them by our ongoing strategy of re democratization, reconciliation, reconstruction and development.” (Excerpt from Sri Lanka Minister, Mahinda Samarasinghe speech in the UN UPR session on 1 November 2012)

During the UPR process on Sri Lanka, delegates were surprised to hear the Minister, Mahinda Samarasinghe pass the Sri Lankan military off as saints.

He said during the aforementioned speech, “From May 2009 to October 2012, the Army has constructed 4,652 permanent new houses; 6,171 semi-permanent houses and has renovated 7,454 houses, through their initiative and efforts. It has constructed 73 schools, renovated nearly 500 old school buildings and has constructed 23 school playgrounds…”

Now we understand why Sri Lanka is portraying the military as saviour and saints! It is so obvious that they are trying to disguise their real intentions, on the one hand, their colonisation programme on the island and on the other hand their international programme of repression.

All these indicators are enough to prove that Sri Lankan State terrorism has spread to a European capital, Paris and there are fears of impending similar incidents in other European countries. The assassination of Nadarajah Mathinthiran alias Parithi/Regan was organised and carried out by the Sri Lankan military intelligence probably with the help of Pakistan’s intelligence. We understand that Pakistan’s official who worked in Colombo has been posted to Paris, France in the recent past.

The international community has grappled with finding solutions to state terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan, Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. These countries also had elections, but democracy and rule of law never prevailed.

Today it is the same with Sri Lanka. What is the response of the International Community, when it clearly sees Sri Lankan state terrorism is on its door step?

We take this opportunity to convey our heartfelt condolences to Parithi’s wife, daughter, parents and others.

 

The views expressed are the organization’s own.