Across the Tamil homeland, Tamils gathered to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the assassination of Tamil MP Joseph Pararajasingham.
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Pararajasingham, who was a senior Tamil National Alliance (TNA) figure, and the MP for Batticaloa district, was shot and killed by two armed paramilitary men, whilst he was attending Christmas Eve midnight mass in 2005, at the St Mary's church in Batticaloa town. His wife, Sugunam Pararajasingham was seriously wounded in the gunfire.
The assassination, which occurred during the official ceasefire between the government and the LTTE, was condemned by Tamils around the world.
"Mr Pararajasingham served as a supreme political leader working resolutely to confront forces that attempted to destroy Tamil Nationalism. Tamil people across the world regarded him as an honest leader and his murder has angered and saddened all of us," the head of the LTTE's political wing, S. P. Thamilchelvan told mourners in Kilinochchi who had gathered at his funeral to pay their respects. See here for coverage of his memorial event on December 28, 2005, by TamilNet.
Pararajasingham was posthumously conferred the title 'Maamanithar' by the LTTE.
Mayor of Jaffna, Viswalingam Manivannan, also paid his respects to the deceased MP.
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Nephew of Joseph Pararajasingam Iya paid his respects during a memorial event held by the Tamil National People's Front.
