M. X. Karunaratnam
Encyclopedia
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 pro-LTTE http://www.thebottomline.lk/2008/04/23/DBS%20COLL.htm NESHOR and was killed on 20 April 2008 allegedly by a Deep Penetration Unit
of the Sri Lankan Army .
He had been noted in many instances for having attempted to whitewash the LTTE of its human rights violations and even going to the length of covering up its violationshttp://www.thebottomline.lk/2008/04/23/DBS%20COLL.htm.
.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.
region of Sri Lanka and worked from the LTTE controlled parts of Sri Lanka. 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 .
Earlier two other NESHOR members and Tamil National Alliance
MPs Ariyanayagam Chandra Nehru
and Joseph Pararajasingham
were killed. He was extremely critical of the Sri Lankan government.
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.
National Peace Council of Sri Lanka has called his death
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
priest and a human rights activist. He was the Chairperson of the pro-LTTE http://www.thebottomline.lk/2008/04/23/DBS%20COLL.htm NESHOR and was killed on 20 April 2008 allegedly by a Deep Penetration Unit
Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (Sri Lanka)
The Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol is a covert operation unit of the Sri Lanka Army. This unit is also known as the Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lanka Army and also as the Mahasohon Brigade...
of the Sri Lankan Army .
He had been noted in many instances for having attempted to whitewash the LTTE of its human rights violations and even going to the length of covering up its violationshttp://www.thebottomline.lk/2008/04/23/DBS%20COLL.htm.
Biography
M. X. Karunaratnam was born in JaffnaJaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
.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.
Background
M. X. Karunaratnam was a priest of the Jaffna Diocese and served in the VanniVanni (Sri Lanka)
The Vanni is the name given to the mainland area of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It covers the entirety of Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya Districts, and most of Kilinochchi District. It has an area of approximately 7,650 km2...
region of Sri Lanka and worked from the LTTE controlled parts of Sri Lanka. 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 .
Earlier two other NESHOR members and Tamil National Alliance
Tamil National Alliance
The Tamil National Alliance is a powerful minority Sri Lankan Tamil political alliance in Sri Lanka. It was formed as an amalgamation of moderate Tamil parties as well as number of former rebel groups...
MPs Ariyanayagam Chandra Nehru
Ariyanayagam Chandra Nehru
Ariyanayagam Chandra Nehru was a founder member of the pro-LTTE NESHOR and he was also a former Member of Parliament of the pro LTTE Tamil National Alliance in the Sri Lankan Parliament elected from Amparai in Eastern Sri Lanka. His father Ariyanayagam was also a member of the Sri Lankan...
and Joseph Pararajasingham
Joseph Pararajasingham
Joseph Pararajasingham was a Sri Lankan Member of Parliament and a poet who was known for his pro-Tamil Tiger views and advocacy of human rights...
were killed. He was extremely critical of the Sri Lankan government.
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 AllianceTamil National Alliance
The Tamil National Alliance is a powerful minority Sri Lankan Tamil political alliance in Sri Lanka. It was formed as an amalgamation of moderate Tamil parties as well as number of former rebel groups...
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.
Reaction
Rev Fr. Damian Fernando National Director of Caritas Sri Lanka said,National Peace Council of Sri Lanka has called his death