Nisadas

When I woke at around 2am to the noise of choppers overhead, I thought I was delirious. That particular noise had become something of a rarity since the the LTTE had called a “ceasefire” in 2002 and taken instead to offing their opponents in a less overt manner, taking full advantage of the restraint commanded by the Sri Lanka Armed forces.

Confident that I was delirious, I went back to sleep again, only to awake to the terrible news that the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Mr Lakshman Kadirgamar, had been assassinated.

Him being a gentleman of stature and principle, we have truly suffered a terrible loss as a nation. In the words of Kofi Annan:

“He[Kofi Annan] deplores in the strongest of terms this criminal and senseless act and hopes that the perpetrators will be found and brought to justice,”

“Sri Lanka has lost a deeply respected statesman dedicated to peace and national unity.”

Sadly, Mr Kadirgamar was only the second Sri Lankan ever to be honoured with the unveiling of his portrait as an Oxford Union President. The other before him, Mr S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, was also assassinated.

It is a sad time for the Sri Lankan nation…