Foreign Minister assassinated (Sri Lanka)

[bemildred]

Chandrika Kumaratunga, the Sri Lankan President, imposed a state of emergency after Lakshman Kadirgamar, the Foreign Minister, was assassinated.

The Tamil Tiger rebels were the prime suspects in the killing. Daya Ratnayake, a military spokesman, said that two suspected rebels who had been spying on the minister were arrested two weeks ago.

Mr Kadirgamar, 73, was a hardliner who helped to outlaw the Tamil Tigers and had publicly acknowledged that he was a prime target for attack.

The ethnic Tamil was a top adviser to the President in the long-running effort to bring about peace with the Tigers, who have been fighting for a separate state in the island’s north and east since 1983.

Times Online

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1. 12 Tamils arrested in raids after slaying of Sri Lankan FM

COLOMBO, Aug. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- A total of 12 minority Tamils were arrested during overnight raids in connection with the slaying of nation's Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, the local website Lankapage said Sunday.

The arrests - 11 men and a woman - came in raids by the army, navy and police in and around the capital, Colombo, Defense Ministry spokesman Brig. Daya Ratnayake was quoted as saying.

"They are being interrogated, but at this moment of time we don' t want to say anything," Ratnayake said.


http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-08/14/content_3351069.htm