Joseph Pararajasingham

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

National List
In office
2004–2005
Succeeded byC. Chandrakanthan
Personal details
Born(1934-11-26)26 November 1934
Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi
Other political
affiliations		Tamil National Alliance

Joseph Pararajasingham (

midnight mass at St. Mary's Cathedral, Batticaloa
.

Early life and family

Pararajasingham was born 26 November 1934 in Manipay in northern Ceylon.[3][4][5] His family moved to Batticaloa when he was three years old.[5] Pararajasingham was educated at St. Michael's College National School where he played football and basketball and was an athlete, representing the school in the high jump.[4][5]

Pararajasingham married Sugunam David, whose family were originally from the Thondamanaru area of Vadamarachchi, in 1956.[5] On their wedding day they took part in a protest against the Sinhala Only Act.[5] Two of Sugunam's first cousins, P. R. Selvanayagam and Nimalan Soundaranayagam, were Members of Parliament.[5] Pararajasingham and Sugunam had three sons (Subaraj, Subakanth and Subajith) and one daughter (Subodini).[5] Subaraj died in the 1980s, Subakanth and Subodini live in Canada and Subajith lives in the UK.[5]

A

Catholic, Pararajasingham was known as P. Joseph for most of his life.[5][6][7] Only after entering politics did he give more emphasis to his Tamil name Pararajasingham over his Christian name Joseph.[5]

Career

Pararajasingham joined Batticaloa

Official Languages Act.[9]

After retirement Pararajasingham tried to operate several businesses including mineral water manufacturing and wholesale paper sales.[9] He then became manager of the Rajeswara Theatre.[5][9] He subsequently bought the Imperial Theatre and renamed it Subaraj Theatre after his late son Subaraj.[4][5][9] He also owned the Subaraj Inn tourist lodge and Subaraj Shopping Complex in Batticaloa.[4][5][9]

Pararajasingham also worked as a

Chinthamini.[4][5][8] Whilst working for the government his articles were credited to his wife Sugunam Joseph but after retirement he wrote under his own name, P. Joseph.[5][8] He also wrote for the Sun and the Weekend.[5] Pararajasingham was president of the East Ceylon Journalist's Association.[4]

Pararajasingham was an active social worker - he was secretary of the Parents' Association and the Batticaloa

Red Cross Society.[4]

Politics

Pararajasingham joined the ITAK in 1956.

Tamil United Front, later renamed Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF).[11][12][13][14] Pararajasingham was a member of TULF from the beginning and was joint secretary of its Batticaloa branch.[4] In the mid/late 1980s Pararajasingham filed over 1,000 petitions on behalf of people detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.[4][15]

Pararajasingham was one of the

police, an enraged police officer "summoned" Pararajasingham, a Member of Parliament.[18]

Pararajasingham was re-elected at the

National List MP in Parliament.[27][28]

Pararajasingham and others founded

SAARC Parliamentary Association.[8][10]

Assassination

In late 2005 the police warned Pararajasingham of a plot to kill him and as a result he avoided going to Batticaloa unless it was necessary.

Bishop Kingsley Swampillai but a worried Sugunam suggested that attend mass on Christmas morning.[31] However, Pararajasingham insisted that they go that night.[31] The only people who knew of the Pararajasinghams' decision to attend midnight mass were their police bodyguards.[32] That evening, at around 10.30pm, they arrived at St. Mary's Cathedral but on finding the cathedral deserted they left, only to return later with Robin, Sugunam's brother, and his family.[5][18][31]

A group of men in military clothing arrived at the nearby St. Anthony's Church and changed into civilian dress.

tooth powder factory used by the government backed Karuna Group/TMVP paramilitary group.[18]

A few weeks prior to the assassination Pararajasingham's experienced police bodyguards had been replaced.[6] On the night of the assassination five of Pararajasingham's new police bodyguards were waiting outside the cathedral but none of them challenged the gunmen.[18] The police bodyguards claimed that they didn't want to fire inside the cathedral in case they hit the worshippers.[18] However, the police bodyguards didn't even fire at the gunmen even after they had exited the cathedral and were making their getaway.[18] The police bodyguards also refused to take Pararajasingham and the injured to hospital.[18] Pararajasingham was taken to hospital by a nephew whilst Sugunam was taken by a niece.[18] Prior to the shooting, when worshippers were entering the cathedral they noticed that the surrounding area was teeming with security personnel.[18] However, after the shooting, when worshippers left the cathedral the area was deserted - there were no security personnel.[18]

It is widely believed that the assassination was sanctioned by the

Sri Lankan government/military and carried out by the government backed Karuna Group/TMVP paramilitary group.[18][34] An unknown group calling itself Sennan Padai (Sennan Force) claimed responsibility for the attack and ordered other TNA MPs from the Eastern Province to resign or face execution.[18][35][36] Sennan Padai's leaflets were distributed by the Sri Lankan military.[18] Anti-LTTE websites such as the Asian Tribune gave prominence to the statements by Sennan Padai and Seerum Padai (Hissing Force) and started a campaign to vilify Pararajasingham.[18][35]

On 25 December 2005 the LTTE conferred the title Maamanithar (great human being) on Pararajasingham.[31][37] Sugunam was only told of Pararajasingham's death on the day of his funeral.[5][38] Pararajasingham was buried at the family plot in Aalaiyadicholai burial grounds, Batticaloa on 29 December 2005.[5][38]

A few weeks after the assassination Sugunam was given a

visitor visa by Canada where her son and daughter were living as Canadian citizens.[39] In 2007 she applied for refugee status.[40] In July 2009 an Immigration and Refugee Board hearing began and in February 2011 the adjudicator ruled that Sugunam was a "terrorist" and ordered her deportation.[39][40] However, as of March 2014 she remained in Canada.[41]

Shortly after the assassination TNA MPs gave the name of the three suspected assassins, including Kaluthavalai Ravi and Kalai, to President Mahinda Rajapaksa but no action was taken against them.[32] In July 2006 two suspects were arrested but, after a failed identity parade in August 2006, both were released due to "lack of evidence".[32]

Following the defeat of Rajapaksa at the

new government announced that it would re-investigate several unsolved high-profile assassinations, including that of Pararajasingham, which occurred during Rajapaksa's nine-year reign.[42] Two TMVP paramilitaries, Pradeep Master (Edwin Silva Krishnanandaraja) and Gajan Maamaa (Rangasami Kanaganayagam), were arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on 8 October 2015 in connection with Pararajasingham's assassination.[6][43][44][45][46] Pillayan (S. Chandrakanthan), leader of the TMVP, was also arrested by the CID, on 11 October 2015, in connection with the assassination.[47][48][49]

Electoral history

Electoral history of Joseph Pararajasingham
Election Constituency Party Votes Result
1989 parliamentary[17] Batticaloa District TULF 12,470 Not elected
1994 parliamentary[19] Batticaloa District TULF 43,350 Elected
2000 parliamentary[20] Batticaloa District TULF 12,605 Elected
2001 parliamentary[23] Batticaloa District TNA 20,279 Elected
2004 parliamentary[26] Batticaloa District TNA 24,940 Not elected

References

  1. ^ "Siege of Jaffna on the cards". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 1 January 2006.
  2. ^ "LTTE confers "Maamanithar" title to Pararajasingham". TamilNet. 25 December 2005.
  3. ^ "Directory of Members: Pararajasingham Joseph". Parliament of Sri Lanka.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k de Silva, W. P. P.; Ferdinando, T. C. L. 9th Parliament of Sri Lanka (PDF). Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited. p. 269. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 June 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (1 January 2006). "The benign parliamentarian from Batticaloa". The Sunday Leader. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  6. ^
    The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)
    .
  7. Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster
    . 28 December 2005.
  8. ^ a b c d "Joseph Pararajasingham MP shot dead in Batticaloa church". TamilNet. 24 December 2005.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (8 January 2006). "Benign parliamentarian from Batticaloa - II". The Sunday Leader.
  10. ^
    ISSN 0266-4488
    .
  11. ^ Ross, Russell R.; Savada, Andrea Matles, eds. (1990). Sri Lanka : A Country Study (PDF). Library of Congress. p. 51.
  12. ISBN 81-85880-52-2
    .
  13. ISBN 978-1-105-01908-1
    .
  14. ^ Rajasingham, K. T. "Chapter 23: Srimavo's constitutional promiscuity". Sri Lanka: The Untold Story. Archived from the original on 13 February 2002.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  15. ^ "Three Month Anniversary of Mr. Pararajasingam's Assassination". Ilankai Tamil Sangam. 1 April 2006.
  16. ^ "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1989" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2009.
  17. ^ a b de Silva, W. P. P.; Ferdinando, T. C. L. 9th Parliament of Sri Lanka (PDF). Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited. p. 186. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 June 2015.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (15 January 2006). "Batticaloa's benign parliamentarian". The Sunday Leader.
  19. ^ a b "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1994" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2010.
  20. ^ a b "General Election 2000 Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 August 2010.
  21. The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original
    on 4 April 2010.
  22. ^ "Tamil parties sign MOU". TamilNet. 20 October 2001.
  23. ^ a b "General Election 2001 Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2010.
  24. ^ Subramanian, Nirupama (25 June 2002). "New TULF president". The Hindu.[dead link]
  25. ^ "Joseph Pararajasingham, TULF's senior vice president". The Island (Sri Lanka). 25 June 2002.
  26. ^ a b "General Election 2004 Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2010.
  27. ^ "TNA nominates two national list MPs". TamilNet. 9 April 2004.
  28. The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)
    .
  29. ^ "HR Group meets to finalize Charter". TamilNet. 1 August 2004.
  30. ^ "NESOHR mourns killing of Pararajasingham". TamilNet. 25 December 2005.
  31. ^ a b c d e f "Siege of Jaffna on the cards". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 1 January 2006.
  32. ^ a b c d "Case No. SRI/49 - Joseph Pararajasingham". Inter-Parliamentary Union. 18 October 2006.
  33. ^ "Gunmen kill Sri Lankan politician". BBC News. 25 December 2005.
  34. ^ Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (16 March 2008). "Assassinating Tamil Parliamentarians: The unceasing waves". The Nation (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  35. ^ a b "Briefing No. 5". University Teachers for Human Rights. 27 December 2005.
  36. ^ "Senan Padai claims responsibility for the killing of Pararajasingham". The Island (Sri Lanka). 30 December 2005.
  37. ^ "LTTE confers "Maamanithar" title to Pararajasingham". TamilNet. 25 December 2005.
  38. ^ a b "Pararajasingham slaying has endangered direct talks - TNA MPs". TamilNet. 29 December 2005.
  39. ^ a b Humphreys, Adrian (29 October 2013). "Sri Lankan's prospects for staying in Canada promising after supreme court redefines who is a terrorist". National Post.
  40. ^ a b Tyler, Tracey (15 April 2011). "Widow, 74, labelled a terrorist and ordered out of Canada". Toronto Star.
  41. ^ Keung, Nicholas (13 March 2014). "Backlog delays removal of 'foreign criminals'". Toronto Star.
  42. ^ "Sri Lanka to probe high-profile assassinations". The Times of India. Press Trust of India. 21 January 2015.
  43. ^ "Pratheep Master and Kajan arrested for MP Joseph Pararajasingam's murder". Tamil Diplomat. 10 October 2015.
  44. The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)
    .
  45. ^ "Pilliayan Arrested For Pararajasingham Murder". Colombo Telegraph. 11 October 2015.
  46. ^ Wijayapala, Ranil (18 October 2015). "Pillayan's arrest". Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 17 October 2015.
  47. ^ "Sri Lanka former eastern CM arrested for Tamil politician murder". The Hindu. Press Trust of India. 11 October 2015.
  48. ^ "Sri Lanka Arrests Ex-President Rajapakse's Loyalist Over Assassination". NDTV. Agence France-Presse. 11 October 2015.
  49. The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)
    . 11 October 2015.
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