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SRI LANKA
CASE No. SRI/64 - KIDDINAN SIVANESAN

Resolution adopted unanimously by the IPU Governing Council at its 182nd session
(Cape Town, 18 April 2008)

The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,

Having before it the case of Mr. Kiddinan Sivanesan, a member of parliament for Jaffna belonging to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), killed in a Claymore mine attack on 6 March 2008, which has been the subject of a study and report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians following the Procedure for the treatment by the Inter-Parliamentary Union of communications concerning violations of the human rights of members of parliament,

Taking note of the report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, which contains a detailed outline of the case (CL/182/12(b)-R.1-Add.),

Considering that Mr. Kiddinan Sivanesan was killed in a Claymore mine attack on 6 March 2008, shortly after he had crossed into the Vanni area; that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has claimed that the killing was perpetrated by deep penetration units of the Sri Lankan military and that this has been denied by the military, who have blamed it on the LTTE,

Considering that Mr. Sivanesan's vehicle was targeted when he was returning to his residence in Mallaavi after attending parliamentary sessions in Colombo; that the attackers reportedly exploded four mines in a row; that Mr. Sivanesan's driver was killed instantly and Mr. Sivanesan succumbed to his injuries while being rushed to hospital,

Considering that, at the invitation of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, the Committee carried out an on-site visit to Sri Lanka from 21 to 24 February 2008, and noting that the Committee's delegation was able fully to discharge its mandate, which was to gather as detailed information as possible from all parties concerned on the case in question,

  1. Thanks the Sri Lankan authorities for having received the mission and made the necessary arrangements to enable it to carry out its mandate; also thanks the Committee's delegation for its work and awaits with interest the mission's report and any comments on it by the parties with whom the delegation met;

  2. Is appalled at the murder of yet another member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka and strongly condemns this crime;

  3. Trusts that the authorities are carrying out, as is their duty, a thorough and independent investigation to identify the assassins and hold them to account;

  4. Requests the Committee to continue examining this case and report to it at its next session, to be held on the occasion of the 119th Assembly of the IPU (Geneva, October 2008).
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