M. X. Karunaratnam

Rev Father M. X. Karunaratnam

Father Killi
Born April 12, 1951
Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Died April 20, 2008
Vanni Sri Lanka
Occupation Parish Priest, Human Rights activist and Chairperson of NESHOR

Reverend Father Mariampillai Xavier Karunaratnam was a minority Sri Lankan Tamil, Roman Catholic parish priest and a human rights activist. He was the Chairperson of the NESHOR and was killed on 20 April 2008 allegedly by a Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lankan Army .[1][2][3][4]

Biography

M. X. Karunaratnam was born in Jaffna.He was an officer with the Bank of Ceylon before he was opdained as a priest in 1989.Father Karunaratnam was founder and Chairman of NESHOR.He was also the Chairman of NGO Consortium of Jaffna. He was engaged in relief work for War displaced and worked in the Tsunami relief.[5]

Background

M. X. Karunaratnam was a priest of the Jaffna Diocese and served in the Vanni region of Sri Lanka and worked from the LTTE controlled parts of Sri Lanka.[6] He worked for human rights and called on the United Nations and foreign human rights organisation to monitor the human rights situation in Sri Lanka . [3][7][8] [9] Earlier two other NESHOR members and Tamil National Alliance MPs A. Chandranehru and Joseph Pararajasingham were killed. He was extremely critical of the Sri Lankan government.[10][11]

Incident

He was killed in the Mallaavi-Vavunikku'lam Road in Vanni after he was returning from a Sunday mass and going to a remembrance ceremony for a Tamil National Alliance MP a pro LTTE party Kiddinan Sivanesan who was also killed similar fashion. He killed by a claymore blast carried out allegedly by a Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) of the Sri Lanka Army.[3][12][13]

Reaction

Rev Fr. Damian Fernando, National Director of Caritas Sri Lanka, said:

"He was an example of courage, strength and humanity and will be missed by all.He also showed endless empathy towards refugees and displaced people while working tirelessly to improve their living standards.

[14]

National Peace Council of Sri Lanka has called his death

"A Lamentable Loss to Civil Society and to the Country

[15]

See also

References

  1. ↑ NESOHR Condemns Father Karunaratnam's Assassination
  2. ↑ Prominent priest killed in Sri Lanka blast
  3. 1 2 3 NESoHR Chairman Fr. Karunaratnam killed in DPU attack
  4. ↑ Targeted Killing of Rev. M. X. Karunaratnam is a War Crime
  5. ↑ SRI LANKA Catholic Priest Killed Returning From Sunday Mass
  6. ↑ Rev. Fr. Karunaratnam of Jaffna Diocese Killed in a claymore blast
  7. ↑ Appeal to UN on Bindunuwewa
  8. ↑ Sri Lanka: Killing of human rights defender Reverend Father M X Karunaratnam
  9. ↑ Priest Killed BBC
  10. ↑ Fr. Karunaratnam killed in DPU attack
  11. ↑ Monthly Report
  12. ↑ Sri Lanka :of human rights defender Rev. Fr. M X Karunaratnam
  13. ↑ 2008 Report on International Religious Freedom - Sri Lanka
  14. ↑ CAFOD mourns Sri Lankan bomb victim
  15. ↑ NPC laments Rev Fr Karunaratnam assassination


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