The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,

Referring to the case of Mr. D.M. Dassanayake, Minister of Nation-Building, and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, who was assassinated on 8 January 2008, as outlined in the report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CL/184/12(b)-R.1), and to the resolution adopted at its 183rd session (October 2008),

Referring also to the report on the mission which the Committee carried out in February 2008 (CL/183/12(b)-R.2), and to the progress report by the Sri Lankan Police forwarded by the Parliament on 1 April 2009; noting also that, at its session during the 120th Assembly, the Committee held a hearing with members of the Sri Lankan delegation,

Recalling that Mr. Dassanayake was killed, along with a bodyguard, in a roadside bomb attack in the town of Ja-Ela, north of Colombo, which also left 10 people wounded; that although no one has claimed responsibility, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are widely suspected of being behind the attack,

Recalling further that, according to the progress report forwarded by the parliament in August 2008, police inquiries have led to the arrest on 10 June 2008 of a suspect with links to the LTTE who divulged vital incriminating material relevant to Mr. Dassanayake's assassination; the case is registered before the Magistrates' Court of Kanuwana and was to be called again on 5 November 2008; noting that the police progress report forwarded on 1 April 2009 makes no reference to the arrest of a suspect but reiterates that the circumstances, mode of operation, the pattern and type of devices used, show that the killing was executed by the LTTE; that the case was postponed for further report on 6 May 2009 and that inquiries are continuing,

1. Thanks the authorities for the information provided; also thanks the Sri Lankan delegation for its cooperation;

2. Wishes to ascertain whether a suspect has been arrested in this case; and would appreciate being kept informed of further progress made in the investigation;

3. Reaffirms the conclusion of the mission report that there can be no better deterrent for violence targeting members of parliament and indeed the public at large than combating impunity and ensuring that those responsible for assassinations and other crimes are identified, apprehended and brought to justice, and urges the authorities to take firm action to this end;

4. Requests the Secretary General to seek the requested information from the authorities, and requests theCommittee to continue examining this case and report to it at its next session, to be held on the occasion of the 121st Assembly of the IPU (October 2009).

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