During the Sri Lankan Civil War militant groups, paramilitary groups and government security forces were accused of assassinating many public figures on suspicion of being sympathizers or informants, in retaliation for killings and attacks, to eliminate competition from rival groups, or to stifle dissent. The following is a list of notable assassinations of the Sri Lankan Civil War, attributed by various self-admissions, NGOs, United Nations agencies, foreign governments, and the state-owned media of Sri Lanka
Background
The Sri Lankan Civil War was in a conflict on the island-nation of Sri Lanka. Between 1983 and 2009 there was an intermittent civil war, predominantly between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist militant organisation who during this time fought for the creation of an independent state named Tamil Eelam in the North and East of the island. The UN has estimated that up to 100,000 people (combatants and civilians) may have been killed during the 26 years of fighting. The civil war has caused significant harm to the population and economy of the country, as well as leading to the ban of the LTTE as a terrorist organisation in 32 countries including the United States, Australia, the countries of the European Union and Canada. The war ended in May 2009 when the Sri Lankan military defeated the LTTE. Numerous human rights violations have been committed by both the Sri Lankan military and the LTTE, including the assassination of individuals by both sides. A majority of the notable figures on this list were members of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka, and in many instances were allegedly assassinated by the LTTE for taking moderate political stances, or for rejecting militant action and attempting to engage in the democratic process in Sri Lanka.
Assassinations
Heads of state and government
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rajiv Gandhi | Former Prime Minister of India | 21 May 1991 | Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, India | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed, but they denied it until 2006. In 2006, LTTE chief negotiator Anton Balasingham said "(Rajiv Gandhi's assassination) is a great tragedy, a monumental historical tragedy for which we deeply regret". |
| Ranasinghe Premadasa | President of Sri Lanka | 1 May 1993 | Colombo | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed. |
Ministers
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranjan Wijeratne | Minister of Defence; UNP MP | 2 March 1991 | Colombo | Car bomb | LTTE is blamed. |
| Lalith Athulathmudali | Former cabinet minister; DUNF (formerly UNP) MP (Colombo District) | 23 April 1993 | Kirulapana, Colombo | Shot | President Premadasa was found to be directly responsible for the assassination of Lalith Athulathmudali. |
| Gamini Dissanayake | Former cabinet minister; UNP presidential candidate | 24 October 1994 | Thotalanga, Grandpass, Colombo | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed. |
| Weerasinghe Mallimarachchi | Former cabinet minister; UNP MP (Colombo District) | LTTE is blamed. | |||
| G. M. Premachandra | Former cabinet minister; former chief minister; former UNP MP (Kurunegala District) | LTTE is blamed. | |||
| C. V. Gunaratne | Minister of Industrial Development; SLFP MP (Colombo District) | 8 June 2000 | Ratmalana, Colombo | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed. |
| Lakshman Kadirgamar | Minister of Foreign Affairs; SLFP MP (National List) | 12 August 2005 | Colombo | Sniper | LTTE is blamed by the government and European Union, but the LTTE denied involvement in it. |
| D. M. Dassanayake | Nation Building Minister; SLFP MP (Puttalam District) | 8 January 2008 | Ja-Ela, Gampaha District | Roadside bombing | LTTE is blamed. |
| Jeyaraj Fernandopulle | Minister of Highways & Road Development; SLFP MP (Gampaha District) | 6 April 2008 | Weliveriya, Gampaha District | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed. |
Members of Sri Lankan parliament
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred Duraiappah | Former Independent MP (Jaffna); Independent Mayor of Jaffna | 27 July 1975 | Jaffna | Shot | LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran himself. |
| M. Canagaratnam | UNP (formerly TULF) MP (Pottuvil) | 20 April 1980 | Colombo | Shot | Shot by Prabhakaran and Uma Maheswaran in 1978, and succumbed to his wounds in 1980. |
| A. Thiagarajah | Former ACTC MP (Vaddukoddai); UNP candidate; former principal, Karainagar Hindu College | 24 May 1981 | Shot | PLOTE and LTTE blamed. | |
| M. Alalasundaram | Former TULF MP (Kopay) | 2 September 1985 | Thinnaveli, Jaffna | Shot | TELO is blamed. |
| V. Dharmalingam | Former TULF MP (Manipay) | 2 September 1985 | Manipay, Jaffna | Shot | TELO and RAW are blamed. |
| A. L. Abdul Majeed | Independent (formerly SLFP) MP (Muttur) | 13 November 1987 | Muttur, Trincomalee | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| V. Yogeswaran | Former TULF MP (Jaffna) | 13 July 1989 | Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| A. Amirthalingam | Former Leader of the Opposition; leader of the TULF; TULF MP (National List) | ||||
| Sam Tambimuttu | EPRLF MP (Batticaloa District) | 7 May 1990 | Colombo | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| G. Yogasangari | EPRLF MP (Jaffna District) | 19 June 1990 | Kodambakam, Madras, TN, India | Grenade and gun attack | LTTE is blamed. |
| Ossie Abeygunasekara | UNP MP (Colombo District) | 24 October 1994 | Thotalanga, Grandpass, Colombo | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed. |
| Gamini Wijesekara | UNP MP; Secretary, UNP | ||||
| A. Thangathurai | TULF MP (Trincomalee District) | 5 July 1997 | Trincomalee | Grenade and gun attack | LTTE is blamed. |
| M. E. H. Maharoof | UNP MP (Trincomalee District) | 20 July 1997 | Trincomalee | Shot | LTTE is blamed by SPUR, a pro-government organisation. |
| S. Shanmuganathan | PLOTE MP (Vanni District) | 15 July 1998 | Irambaikkulam, Vavuniya District | Roadside bombing | LTTE is blamed. |
| Neelan Tiruchelvam | TULF MP (National List) | 29 July 1999 | Colombo | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed. |
| Nadarajah Atputharajah (alias Ramesh) | EPDP MP (Jaffna District); publisher of Thinamurasu newspaper | 2 November 1999 | Colombo | Shot | EPDP is blamed. |
| Kingsley Rasanayagam | TNA MP (Batticaloa District) | 20 October 2000 | Iruthayapuram, Batticaloa | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| Nimalan Soundaranayagam | TULF MP (Batticaloa District) | 7 November 2000 | Kiran, Batticaloa District | Shot | LTTE is blamed. Killed on the orders of Karuna Amman. |
| A. Chandranehru | Former TNA/TULF MP (Ampara District) | 7 February 2005 | Batticaloa District | Ambush | TMVP/Karuna Amman is blamed. Tamil National Force, a TMVP/ENDLF front, claimed responsibility. |
| Joseph Pararajasingham | TNA/TULF MP (Batticaloa District) | 25 December 2005 | Batticaloa | Shot | TMVP, EPDP and the government are blamed. The Government and the LTTE blame each other. |
| S. Sivamaharajah | Former TULF MP (Jaffna District); editor of Namathu Eelanadu (Our Eelam Nation) newspaper | 20 August 2006 | Tellippalai, Jaffna District | Shot | EPDP is blamed. The government is blamed by TNA.[citation needed] LTTE is blamed by SATP, a pro-government organisation. |
| Nadarajah Raviraj | TNA/TULF MP (Jaffna District); former Mayor of Jaffna | 10 November 2006 | Colombo | Shot | EPDP is blamed. TMVP and the government are blamed by the TNA. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, permanent secretary to the Ministry of Defence of the Government of Sri Lanka, was accused of involvement in the assassination by UTHR, a local human rights organisation. LTTE is blamed by the International Center for Strategic Defense. |
| T. Maheshwaran | UNP MP (Colombo District) | 1 January 2008 | Colombo | Shot | EPDP s blamed. The government is blamed by UNP. Wikileads stated that the Karuna Group was to be blamed.[citation needed] |
| K. Sivanesan | TNA MP (Jaffna District) | 6 March 2008 | A 9 highway, Mullaitivu District | Roadside bombing | Sri Lankan Army's LRRP is blamed. |
| Shantha Kumara Punchihewa | Former UNP MP (Vanni District); UNP organiser, Vavuniya District | 6 October 2008 | Anuradhapura | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed by government. |
Provincial councillors
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P. Ganeshalingam | Former EPRLF minister, North Eastern Provincial Council | 28 January 1990 | LTTE is blamed. | ||
| P. Kirubakaran | Former EPRLF Finance Minister, North Eastern Provincial Council | 19 June 1990 | Kodambakam, Madras, TN, India | Grenade and gun attack | LTTE is blamed. |
| P. Sooriyamoorthy | Former provincial councillor, deputy speaker, North- Eastern provincial council, Former Mayor Trincomalee district | 25 May 2005 | Trincomalee | Shot | LTTE blamed by the government. |
| Janaka Perera | UNP Leader of the Opposition, North Central Provincial Council; former Chief of Staff, Sri Lankan Army | 6 October 2008 | Anuradhapura | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed by the government. |
| Sunil Dissanayaka | UNP provincial councillor |
Local councillors
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K. T. Pulendran | Member of Vavuniya Urban Council, UNP organiser for Vavuniya District | 19 January 1983 | Vavuniya | Shot | Unknown |
| S. Nadarajah | Former TULF Chairman, Jaffna District Development Council | 12 February 1988 | LTTE is blamed. | ||
| S. Sambandamoorthy | Former TULF Chairman, Batticaloa District Development Council | 7 March 1989 | Chenkalady, Batticaloa District | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| T. Jeyarajah | Chairman, Chenkalady Pradeshiya Sabha | 13 September 1994 | Chenkalady, Batticaloa District | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the government. |
| Thomas Anton | Deputy Mayor of Batticaloa | 26 October 1995 | Batticaloa | LTTE is blamed SATP, a pro-government organisation. | |
| Nagarmani Rajadurai | Chairman, Mandur Pradeshiya Shaba | 16 April 1996 | Mandur, Batticaloa | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the government. |
| Kandiah Amirthalingam | Vice Chairman, Vakarai Pradeshiya Sabha | 29 September 1996 | Oddamavadi | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the government. |
| Sarojini Yogeswaran | TULF Mayor of Jaffna | 17 May 1998 | Jaffna | Shot | LTTE is blamed. Sankiliyan Force, suspected to be a front organisation for the LTTE, has claimed responsibility. |
| Pon Sivapalan | TULF Mayor of Jaffna | 11 September 1998 | Jaffna | Claymore bomb attack | LTTE is blamed. |
| P. Kandasamy | Member of Pradeshiya Sabha | 14 February 1999 | Avarankal | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the government. |
| Veerahaththy Gunaratnam | PLOTE Member, Pachchilaipalli Pradheshiya Sabha | 5 May 1999 | Vavuniya | Shot | Unknown |
| M. Balasingham | Member of Pradeshiya Sabha | 12 May 1999 | Urumpirai, Jaffna | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the government. |
| T. Rajkumar | Member of Pradeshiya Sabha | 31 May 1999 | Kandaramadam | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the government. |
| Murugesu Gunaratnam (alias Vino) | Former PLOTE Deputy Chairman, Kaluvanchikudi Pradeshiya Sabha; public relations officer | 2 September 1999 | Vavuniya | Bomb | LTTE is blamed. |
| Vadivelu Vijeyaratnam (alias Sellakili Master) | PLOTE Chairman, Point Pedro Urban Council | 14 January 2000 | Point Pedro, Jaffna District | Shot | Unknown |
| Chelian Perinpanayagam | Former Mayor of Batticaloa, writer, journalist | 10 September 2000 | Eastern Kalmunai | Shot | LTTE is blamed by UTHR, a local human right organisation. |
Other politicians
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S. J. Muttiah | UNP candidate, Chavakacheri | 29 April 1983 | Chavakacheri, Jaffna | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the government. |
| S. Rajaratnam | UNP candidate, Valvettithurai | Valvettithurai, Jaffna | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the government. | |
| K. B. Ratnasingham | UNP candidate, Point Pedro | Point Pedro, Jaffna District | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the government. | |
| Canagasabai Rajathurai | EPDP Member | Jaffna | Shot | Unknown | |
| A. J. Rajasooriar | UNP organiser, Jaffna District | 12 August 1983 | Jaffna District | Shot | Unknown |
| Velamurugu Master | TULF organiser; Member, Kalmunai Citizens Committee | 20 August 1983 | Kalmunai | Shot | Unknown |
| Mala Ramachandran | UNP member, Batticaloa Municipal Council | 1 September 1983 | Batticaloa | Shot | Unknown |
| S. Gopallapillai | UNP candidate | 18 September 1983 | Jaffna | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the government. |
| S. Vidyanandan | District Secretary, Communist Party | 8 March 1988 | Chunnakam, Jaffna District | Shot | Unknown |
| Karavai Kandasamy | Deputy chairman, DPLF | 31 December 1994 | Robert Place, Colombo | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the government. |
| K. Vinothan | Former SLFP organiser, Jaffna District | 28 April 1995 | Sea Avenue, Colombo | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the government. |
| S. T. Tharmalingam | SLFP organiser, Jaffna District | 3 October 1997 | Columbuthurai, Jaffna District | Shot | Unknown |
| S. A. Oswald | SLFP Secretary, Gurunagar | 24 June 1998 | Gurunagar, Jaffna | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the government. |
| Pon Mathimukarajah (Mathimugaraj) | General Secretary, TULF Nallur Branch | 26 December 1998 | Nallur, Jaffna District | Shot | Unknown |
| Lakshman Algama | UNP politician; Former Chief of Staff, Sri Lankan Army | 18 December 1999 | Ja-Ela, Gampaha District | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed by the government. |
| Kumar Ponnambalam | Leader of the ACTC; lawyer | 5 January 2000 | Colombo | Shot | Government is blamed by his family.National Front Against Terrorism has claimed responsibility. |
| Anton Sivalingam | EPDP Member | 1 March 2000 | Jaffna | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the government. |
| Kanapathipillai Navaratnarajah | TELO member | 7 June 2000 | Batticaloa | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| Rajan Sathiyamoorthy | TNA parliamentary candidate | 30 March 2004 | Batticaloa | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| Vanniasingham Vigneswaran | TNA member; President, Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples' Forum | 7 April 2006 | Trincomalee | Shot | TMVP is blamed. |
| John Pulle | UNP organiser, Anuradhapura District; former Sri Lankan Ambassador | 6 October 2008 | Anuradhapura | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed by the government. |
| Kumaraswamy Nandagopan (alias Ragu) | President, TMVP | 14 November 2008 | Colombo District | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the government. |
Military officers
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major General Lucky Wijayaratne | Commander, 22 Brigade | 18 December 1990 | Trincomalee District | Land mine | LTTE is blamed. |
| Rear Admiral Mohan Jayamaha | Commander, Northern Naval Area | 8 August 1992 | Kayts, Jaffna District | Land mine | LTTE is blamed. Involvement of Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa is speculated. |
| Lt. General Denzil Kobbekaduwa | General Officer Commanding, Northern Sector | ||||
| Major General Vijaya Wimalaratne | Commander, Jaffna Brigade | ||||
| Admiral Clancy Fernando | Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy | 16 November 1992 | Colombo | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed. He is the senior most military officer killed by the LTTE. |
| Lt. General Nalin Angammana | General Officer Commanding, 3rd Army Division, Sri Lankan Army | 30 July 1995 | Batticaloa | Land mine | LTTE is blamed. |
| Major General Ananda Hamangoda | Brigade Commander, 51-2 Brigade | 4 July 1996 | Jaffna | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed. |
| Major General Larry Wijeratne | Brigade Commander, 51-4 Brigade | 14 May 1998 | Jaffna | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed. |
| Major General Susantha Mendis | Brigade Commander, 51-4 Brigade | 11 September 1998 | Jaffna | Bombing | LTTE is blamed |
| Major General Percy Fernando | Deputy General Officer Commanding, 54 Division | 20 April 2000 | Elephant Pass, Kilinochchi District | Sniper | LTTE is blamed. |
| Colonel Tuan Nizam Muthaliff | Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, Military Intelligence Corps | 31 May 2005 | Colombo | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| Lt. General Parami Kulatunga | Deputy Chief of Staff, Sri Lankan Army | 26 June 2006 | Colombo | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed. |
Police officers
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kandiah Karunanithy | PC3164 CID, Kankesanthurai police | 14 February 1977 | Maviddapuram | Shot | Prabhakaran, Sellakili, Charles Anthony – LTTE is blamed. He is the first police officer to be murdered by Tamil militants. |
| IP T. I. Bastiampillai | Inspector of Police, CID | 7 April 1978 | Mannar | Shot along with his police team | Lt. Sellakili, a former bodyguard of Prabhakaran. |
| ASP Ivan Boteju | Assistant Superintendent of Police, Kalmunai | June 1990 | Ampara District | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| DIG Richard Wijesekara | Superintendent of Police, Trincomalee | 1991 | Trincomalee | landmine | LTTE is blamed. |
| SSP Chandra Perera | Superintendent of Police, Jaffna | 11 September 1998 | Jaffna | Bombing at Mayor's office | LTTE is blamed. |
| SDIG T. N. De Silva | SDIG, Colombo Range | 18 December 1999 | Colombo | Bomb blast targeting President Chandrika Kumaratunga | LTTE is blamed. |
| ASP E. M. H. B Ekanayake | Asst. Superintendent of Police (Posthumous), Colombo 03 | 2004 | Colombo | Bombing at Kollupitiya Police Station targeting EPDP Leader Douglas Devananda | LTTE is blamed. |
| DIG Charles Wijewardene | Superintendent of Police, Jaffna | 5 August 2005 | Jaffna | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| DIG Upul Seneviratne | Director of Training, Special Task Force | 7 August 2006 | Digana, Kandy | Roadside bombing | LTTE is blamed. |
Civil servants
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V. M. Panchalingam | District Secretary/Government Agent, Jaffna District | 1 May 1989 | Nallur, Jaffna District | Shot | LTTE is blamed by SPUR, a pro-government organisation. |
| Markandu Eswaram | Chief Engineer | 11 September 1998 | Nallur, Jaffna District | Bombing at Mayor's office | LTTE is blamed by SPUR, a pro-government organisation. |
| T. Kailainathan | Director of Vocational Qualification | 4 April 2005 | LTTE is blamed by UTHR, a local human right organisation. | ||
| A. L. M. Faleel | Divisional Secretary/Assistant Government Agent, Kattankudy, Batticaloa District | 4 December 2005 | Batticaloa | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| Pon. Ganeshamoorthy | General Manager, People's Bank; literary figure; poet | 4 August 2006 | Kankesanthurai, Jaffna District | Shot | Sri Lanka military intelligence is blamed. |
| Ketheesh Loganathan | Co-founder, Centre for Policy Alternatives; Deputy Leader, Government Peace Secretariat | 12 August 2006 | Colombo | Shot | LTTE is blamed. Loganathan was called a traitor by nitharsanam.com, a website allegedly run by the LTTE. |
| Q. Anantharajan | Grama Service Officer; Political Science Lecturer | 30 November 2006 | Jaffna | Shot | LTTE |
| Herath Abeyweera | Chief Secretary, Eastern Provincial Council | 16 July 2007 | Trincomalee | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| N. Nanthakumar | Divisional Secretary/Assistant Government Agent, Thunukkai, Mullaitivu District | 29 June 2008 | Mullaitivu | Claymore bomb attack | Sri Lankan Army's LRRP is blamed. |
| Samanturai Anthonimuttu | District Secretary/Government Agent, Batticaloa District | Batticaloa | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the SPUR, a pro-government organisation. | |
| S. S. Jeganathan | Divisional Secretary/Assistant Government Agent, Batticaloa District | Batticaloa | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the SPUR, a pro-government organisation. | |
| Rajshankar | President, Thenmarachchi Citizens Cimmittee | Thenmarachchi, Jaffna District | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the SPUR, a pro-government organisation. | |
| Sinnadurai | Divisional Secretary/Assistant Government Agent, Trincomalee District | Trincomalee | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the SPUR, a pro-government organisation. | |
| B. K. Thambipillai | President, Citizens Cimmittee | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the SPUR, a pro-government organisation. | ||
| Vignarajah | Sarvodaya Leader; District Secretary/Government Agent | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the SPUR, a pro-government organisation. |
Journalists
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I. Shanmugalingam | Staff Reporter, Eelanadu and Eelamurasu newspapers | 6 November 1989 | Jaffna | Kidnapped and executed | LTTE informed family that they killed him three days later.[citation needed] |
| Richard de Zoysa | Author; journalist | 18 February 1990 | Welikadawatte, Colombo | Shot | Senior Superintendent of Police Ronnie Gunasinghe and other police officers are involved on the orders of President Ranasinghe Premadasa. |
| K. S. Raja | Reporter, Radio Ceylon | 3 September 1994 | Colombo | Shot | EPDP is blamed. |
| Chelvy Thiyagarajah | Founder, Tholi | 1997 | Jaffna | Kidnapped and executed | LTTE is blamed. |
| Mylvaganam Nimalarajan | Reporter, BBC | 19 October 2000 | Jaffna | Shot | EPDP is blamed. |
| Aiyathurai Nadesan | Reporter, Virakesari | 31 May 2004 | Batticaloa | Shot | TMVP is blamed by Human Rights Watch. |
| Balanadarajah Iyer | Lead editor, EPDP; founder, Thinamurasu newspaper | 16 August 2004 | Colombo | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| Taraki Sivaram | Editor, TamilNet | 28 April 2005 | Colombo District | Shot | TMVP is blamed. |
| Relangi Selvarajah | TV announcer; freelance producer | 12 August 2005 | Colombo | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| Subramaniyam Sugirdharajan | Correspondent, Sudar Oli | 24 January 2006 | Trincomalee | Shot | Unknown gunmen. |
| Ranjith Kumar | Journalist, Uthayan | 2 May 2006 | Jaffna | Shot | EPDP is blamed.[citation needed] |
| Suresh Kumar | Journalist, Uthayan | ||||
| Sampath Lakmal de Silva | Freelance journalist | 2 July 2006 | Dehiwela, Colombo District | Shot | Sri Lankan Army is blamed.[citation needed] |
| Chandrabose Suthaharan | Editor, Nilam magazine | 16 April 2007 | Thirunavatkulam, Vavuniya District | Shot | Killers reportedly spoke both Sinhala and Tamil. |
| Selvarajah Rajivarnam | Reporter, Uthayan | 29 April 2007 | Jaffna | Shot | EPDP is blamed. |
| Sahathevan Nilakshan | Journalist, Chaalaram | 1 August 2007 | Kokkuvil, Jaffna District | Shot | [citation needed] |
| P. Devakumaran | Journalist, Shakthi TV | 28 May 2008 | Navanthurai, Jaffna District | Hacked to death | EPDP is blamed. |
| Lasantha Wickramatunge | Editor-in-chief, The Sunday Leader | 8 January 2009 | Colombo | Shot | Government was blamed by Wickramatunge in a posthumous editorial. |
Academics
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C. E. Anandarajah | Principal, St. John's College, Jaffna | 26 June 1985 | Jaffna | Shot | LTTE claimed responsibility and provided reasons in a public notice (he was killed for organizing a game between the students and the Sri Lankan forces). |
| M. E. Kandasamy | Principal, Palugamam Maha Vidyalaya | Batticaloa | Shot | Unknown | |
| S. Siththamparanathan | Principal, Vigneswara Vidyalaya, Trincomalee | 31 January 1988 | Trincomalee | Shot | Unknown |
| Ponniah Selvarajah aka Pon Selvarajah | Teacher; Village Officer | 3 September 1988 | Poonari Madam, Kokkuvil, Jaffna District | Shot | From Punnalaikkadduvan North, Jaffna [citation needed] |
| Rajani Thiranagama | University teacher; political activist; human rights activist | 25 September 1989 | Thirunelveli, Jaffna District | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| Nadarajah Sivakadatcham | Principal, Kopay Christian College | 11 October 2006 | Jaffna | Shot | EPDP is blamed. |
| Kanapathy Rajadurai | Principal, Jaffna Central College | 12 October 2006 | Jaffna | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
Religious figures
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Father George Jeyarajasingham | Methodist priest; human rights activist | 13 December 1984 | Mannar District | Shot | Sri Lankan Army is blamed. |
| Father Mary Bastian | Catholic priest; human rights activist | 6 January 1985 | Vankalai, Mannar District | Shot | Sri Lankan security forces are blamed. |
| Venerable Bakamune Subaddalanakara Thero | Buddhist priest | 4 June 1986 | Andankulam, Trincomalee District | shot | LTTE is blamed by the government. |
| Venerable Hegoda Sri Indrasara | Chief Incumbent (Priest), Vidyananda Maha Pirivena | 2 June 1987 | Arantalawa, Ampara District | Shot/hacked | LTTE is blamed. |
| Father Chandra Fernando | Catholic priest; human rights activist | 6 June 1988 | Batticaloa | Shot | EPRLF is blamed. PLOTE is blamed by TamilNet. |
| Most Venerable Matara Kithalagama Sri Seelalankara Nayaka Thero aka Dimbulagala Hamuduruwo | Buddhist priest; Chief Incumbent (Priest), Dimbulagala Temple, Polonnaruwa District | 26 May 1995 | Dimbulagala | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| Father Thiruchelvam Nihal Jim Brown | Catholic priest | 2006 | Allaippiddi, Jaffna District | Disappeared and found dead | Sri Lankan Navy is blamed. |
| Venerable Selliah Parameswaran Kurukkal | Hindu priest; Chief Priest, Santhiveli Pilleyar Kovil, Batticaloa | 11 February 2007 | Batticaloa | Shot | LTTE is blamed.[citation needed] Ven. Selliah Parameswaran Kurukkal was the Hindu priest who garlanded and welcomed Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa during his visit to the Vaharai area after it was captured from the Tamil Tigers. |
| Venerable Hadungamuwe Nandarathene | Chief Incumbent (Priest), Sri Pabbattharamaya Temple, Mahadivulwewa-Stage 1, Morawewa | 14 May 2007 | Morawewa | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| Father Nicholas Pillai Pakiaranjith | Catholic priest; aid worker | 26 September 2007 | Kalvilaan, Mannar District | Roadside bombing | Sri Lankan Army's LRRP is blamed. |
| Father M. X. Karunaratnam | North East Secretariat on Human Rights (NESoHR) | 20 April 2008 | Mannankulam | Claymore attack | Sri Lankan Army's LRRP is blamed. |
| Venerable Sivashri Kungaraja Kurukkal | Hindu priest; Chief Priest, Koneswaram Temple, Trincomalee | 21 September 2008 | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
Militants
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oberoi Thevan | Founder and leader, Tamil Eelam Liberation Army (TELA) | 14 August 1983 | Shot | LTTE cadres on the orders of Prabhakaran. | |
| Sri Sabaratnam | Leader, TELO | 5 May 1986 | Jaffna peninsula | Shot | Kittu (Sathasivam Krishnakumar) of the LTTE. |
| Uma Maheswaran | Leader, PLOTE | 16 July 1989 | Colombo | Shot | ENDLF claimed responsibility. Indian intelligence agency (RAW) involvement is speculated. |
| K. Pathmanabha (alias Ranjan) | General Secretary, EPRLF | 19 June 1990 | Kodambakam, Madras, TN, India | Grenade and gun attack | LTTE is blamed. |
| G. Mahendraraja (alias Mahattaya) | LTTE | 8 December 1994 | Shot | LTTE. | |
| Muthulingam Ganeshkumar (alias Razeek) | Leader, Razeek Group | 29 May 1999 | Batticaloa | Shot | LTTE is blamed by the government. |
| P. Ganeshmoorthy (alias Razeek) | Military Leader, EPRLF | Eravur, Batticaloa District | Bomb | LTTE is blamed. | |
| Tharmalingam Thevarasa (alias Ilango) | Military Commander, Vavuniya, PLOTE | 2 September 1999 | Vavuniya | Bomb | LTTE is blamed. |
| Nagalingam Manikkam Rajan (Manickathasan) (alias Thasan) | Deputy Leader & Military Wing Commander, PLOTE | ||||
| Lt. Col. Gangai Amaran | Deputy Leader, Sea Tigers, LTTE | 2001 | Akkaraayan Kulam, Kilinochchi District | Claymore attack | Sri Lankan Army's LRRP. |
| T. Kuhasanthan (alias Lt. Col. Nizam) | Military Intelligence Wing leader for the East, LTTE | 2001 | Sri Lankan Army's LRRP is blamed. | ||
| Major Mano | Head of Eastern Communication, LTTE | 2001 | Batticaloa | Claymore attack | Sri Lankan Army's LRRP. |
| V. Sornalingam (alias Colonel Shankar) | Second in command, LTTE | 26 September 2001 | Oddusuddan, Mullaitivu District | Claymore attack | Sri Lankan Army's LRRP. |
| Kandiah Subathiran Thambirajah (alias Robert) | Jaffna District leader, EPRLF (Varathar wing) | 14 June 2003 | Jaffna | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| Kandaiah Yogarajah (alias PLOTE Mohan) | Senior member, PLOTE | 31 July 2004 | Colombo | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| P. Rajaratnam (alias Mano Master) | General Secretary, ENDLF | 21 November 2004? | Colombo? | LTTE is blamed by ENDLF. | |
| Sonnyboy Occersz (alias Rangappa) | Senior member, ENDLF | 25 November 2004 | Dematagoda, Colombo | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
| E. Kousalyan | Political wing regional leader, LTTE | 7 February 2005 | Batticaloa District | Ambush | TMVP/Karuna is blamed. Tamil National Force, a TMVP/ENDLF front, claimed responsibility. |
| Sivaguru Navaratnarajah (alias Kanthy) | Leader, EPRLF (Razeek Group) | 14 September 2005 | Batticaloa | Grenade attack | LTTE is blamed. |
| K. Ulaganathan (alias Colonel Ramanan) | Military leader, Batticaloa District, LTTE | 21 May 2006 | Vavunathiv, Batticaloa District | Sniper | Sri Lankan Army/TMVP. |
| S. P. Thamilselvan | Political leader, LTTE | 2 November 2007 | Kilinochchi District | Air strike | Sri Lankan Air Force |
| S. Ravishankar (alias Colonel Charles) | Head of Military Intelligence, LTTE | 6 January 2008 | Pallamadu, Mannar District | Roadside bombing | Sri Lankan Army's LRRP. |
| S. Sivashankar (alias Pottu Amman) | Head of Tiger organisation Security Intelligence Service (TOSIS), LTTE | 18 May 2009 | Mullaitivu District | Sri Lankan Army.[citation needed] Body was not found. | |
| Velupillai Prabhakaran | Founder and leader, LTTE | 18 May 2009 | Nanthi Lagoon, Mullaitivu District | Gunfire | 53 Division, Sri Lankan Army. |
Others
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chasy Krishnamoorthy | Writer; film critic | ||||
| Sathasivam Baskaran | Distributor for the Tamil newspaper Uthayan from Jaffna, Sri Lanka | 15 August 2006 | Puttur junction near Achchuveli | Shot | |
| Maheswary Velautham | Lawyer; human rights activist | 13 May 2008 | Navindil, Jaffna District | Shot | LTTE is blamed. |
Attempted assassinations
Heads of state and government
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chandrika Kumaratunga | President of Sri Lanka | 18 December 1999 | Town Hall, Colombo | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed. |
Ministers
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas Devananda | Minister | Multiple times | Multiple locations | LTTE is blamed for most attempts. | |
| Nimal Siripala de Silva | Minister of Housing | 4 July 1996 | Jaffna, Jaffna District | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed. |
| General Anuruddha Ratwatte | Minister of Energy and Deputy Defence Minister | 6 December 1998 | Oddusuddan, Mullaitivu District | Mortar attack | LTTE is blamed |
| Maithripala Sirisena | Minister of Agricultural Development & Agrarian Services | 8 October 2008 | Piliyandala, Colombo District | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed. |
| Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena | Minister of Cultural Affairs | 11 March 2009 | Akuressa, Matara District | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed. |
| Ali Ameer | Non-Cabinet Minister of Disaster Relief Services | ||||
| Pandu Bandaranaike | Non-Cabinet Minister of Religious Affairs | ||||
| A. H. M. Fowzie | Minister of Petroleum & Petroleum Resources Development | ||||
| Chandrasiri Gajadeera | Non-Cabinet Minister of Home Affairs | ||||
| Mahinda Wijesekara | Minister of Special Projects |
Public officials
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gotabaya Rajapaksa | Secretary, Ministry of Defence | 1 December 2006 | Kollupitiya, Colombo District | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed. |
Military officers
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lt. General Sarath Fonseka | Commander of the Army | 25 April 2006 | Army Headquarters, Colombo | Suicide bombing | LTTE is blamed. |
Diplomats
| Victim | Position | Date | Location | Method | Perpetrator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colonel Bashir Wali Mohammed | Pakistani High Commissioner to Sri Lanka | 14 August 2006 | Kollupitiya, Colombo | Bombing | LTTE is blamed by the government. Bashir Wali Mohammed has blamed the Research and Analysis Wing, the Indian intelligence agency, for the attack. |
| Robert O. Blake, Jr. | United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives | February 2007 | SLAF Batticaloa, Batticaloa | Mortar attack | LTTE is blamed but they denied targeting Blake and Mariani. |
| Pio Mariani | Italian Ambassador to Sri Lanka |
See also
- List of assassinations of the Second JVP Insurrection
- List of attacks attributed to the LTTE
- List of attacks attributed to the Sri Lankan military
- List of people assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
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