Neelan Tiruchelvam was a man of peace, principle and intelligence. I met him in December 1996 while visiting Sri Lanka with a Refugee Council delegation. He spoke to us in his capacity as a Member of Parliament for the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), and also as co-director of the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES). Despite his intensely busy schedule, Neelan graciously took out time to explain the complex situation in Sri Lanka to us.
Due to red tape, our delegation had difficulty in travelling to the troubled north until Neelan intervened. In addition to this, he gave us a reasoned, unbiased assessment of the situation for Sri Lankans caught up in the conflict. As a result of his and other support, we were able to write the report, Protection denied: Sri Lankan Tamils, the Home Office and the forgotten civil war, in February 1997, which was well received in the Western countries. The report has helped inform relevant authorities in decisions of Sri Lankan asylum seekers’ claims.
Neelan’s assassination adds another precious life to the list of tens of thousands who have already been killed in the Sri Lankan conflict. Political assassinations and needless deaths will continue to happen unless there is peace. There is an urgent need for Britain and other Western governments to become more involved in finding a resolution to the conflict. Let us hope that some good comes out of this tragic death.