A suicide bomb blast kills Highways Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle. The military blamed the attack on the LTTE and said that 10 people were killed and 25 injured by the explosion. The explosion happened as Mr Fernandopulle was attending a New Year celebration at the Kanthi playground in the town of Weliveriya, Gampaha district.
Sources
Blast kills Sri Lankan Minister, BBC, 6 April 2008; Suicide blast kills Sri Lanka minister, Tigers blamed, Reuters, 6 April 2008.
Quotations
“Minister Fernandopulle belonged to both a religious and ethnic minority and could have played a greater role in rebuilding relations between the ethnic communities and the warring parties. Instead he was a proponent of the government’s strategy of military confrontation with the LTTE which claimed his life. At the same time he assisted civil society groups such as ours when it fell within his domain of authority despite our critical stances. Minister Fernandopulle was one of the government’s key speakers, and his absence will be felt at the forthcoming Eastern Provincial elections where he would have played an important role. We urge the government to ensure that all high risk candidates at these elections, icluding leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Rauf Hakeem whose security is being sought to be reduced, should be provided with additional security.” Path of violence and war is too costly, Press release, National Peace Council, 8 April 2008.
“This is most likely the work of the LTTE. It follows closely on the Fort Railway Station bombing, in which also several young schoolboy sportsmen from D S Senanayake College were killed. The massacre of the innocents anywhere, benefits no just cause and has no place whatsoever in any agenda for dignity and peace for Sri Lankans. Such provocative acts of violence spread fear, suspicion and anger. They further widen the gap between our communities and further reduce whatever chances may have existed for peace conversations.” Rt Revd Duleep de Chickera, Bishop of Colombo, 7 April 2008.
“Amnesty International condemns the suicide bomb attack of 6 April 2008 in Gampaha district, Weliveriya, near Colombo. … The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has been blamed for the bomb attack that targeted a local sports event. Amnesty International reiterates that attacks targeting civilians and indiscriminate attacks violate international humanitarian law which binds all sides to the conflict and constitute war crimes.” Sri Lanka: Mounting Civilian Casualties as Conflict Persists, Public Statement, Amnesty International, 9 April 2008.
Related events
6 March 2008
8 January 2008
1 January 2008
10 November 2006
25 December 2005
12 August 2005
prashan said,
The government in Sri Lanka is always quick to name the LTTE as the being responsible for bomb attacks against government targets when often other parties, with other agendas may be responsible. The Sri Lankan media at present are dealing with conflicting eye witness reports including one from a child participating in the marathon: Weliweriya police which initially said that the attack was triggered by a suicide bomber, reported a while ago that a child marathon runner had said he saw a package being thrown in the direction of Minister Fernandopulle immediately before the explosion, by a person who came from the cemetery side. However the Police still don’t rule out it being a suicide attack (Eyewitness saw man throwing parcel, Daily Mirror, 7 April 2008).