For Immediate Release Sri Lanka Democracy Forum
18 May 2008
The Sri Lanka Democracy Forum (SLDF) unreservedly condemns the LTTE for the brutal assassination of Maheswary Velautham on 13 May 2008.
Maheswary Velautham was killed in a hail of bullets fired at point blank range by LTTE gunmen when she was caring for her bedridden ailing mother in her home village in Navundil in northern Jaffna in the presence of her family members. Writ all over this cruel episode of murder, and the
manner and circumstances in which it was carried is not an iota of the self-proclaimed heroism of the LTTE, but its unrivalled depravity and cowardice.
Reputed for her long years of sustained, dedicated and exceptional work on behalf of displaced people, refugees and those languishing in long term detention without trial, Maheswary displayed enormous courage and leadership in negotiating her role in the service of her people in the whirlpool of violent Tamil politics. At a time when many Tamils took the easy way out by going abroad seeking comfortable lives, it was her commitment to serve her people that made her to remain in the island exposing her to the ever present danger that eventually ended her life.
A pioneering woman activist from the days of the incipient Tamil national movement in the seventies, Maheswary belonged to the generation of Tamil activist women who had to tread a lonely path to carve out a space for themselves in a male dominated world of Tamil politics. No matter what her political alliances were Maheswary was single minded in her non partisan commitment to all those she served, and to the Tamil community in general.
The LTTE has been singularly responsible for the physical elimination and silencing of a whole generation of Tamil political leaders, intellectuals, academics, human rights activists and humanitarian workers. Now Maheswary Velautham joins this long list of persons who have fallen victims to the bombs and guns of the LTTE.
What this latest killing of a 54-year-old unarmed woman demonstrates is that the LTTE under V. Pirapaharan is incapable of transforming itself to accept a multiplicity of political views and practices and deviating from its relentless campaign of murder of each and every Tamil, whether young or old, male or female, who dares to think and act differently.
SLDF calls upon all those who condemn this wanton killing of a dedicated public figure to redouble their efforts in fighting for democracy, justice and dignity for the minorities, in particular, the Tamil community that Maheswary served.
Publishers Note: I am happy to present both sides of this issue if it is presented to me.
