The call upon the international community to investigate the matter and bring to justice
This attack took place in the Sri Lankan government-controlled area between Punana and Valaichcenai. NESOHR strongly
condemns the killings of NESOHR’s Chandra Nehru, former member of parliament, Amparai District and LTTE personnel,
including the political head of Eastern Province Kousalayan. The LTTE personnel and Chandra Nehru were traveling in a
vehicle after having had discussions about counseling and relief work related to the Tsunami in Killinochi.
known Chandra Nehru for a long time as an ardent advocate of human rights in the Northeast. NESOHR depended on him to
oversee human rights violations in the East as he was our representative in Amparai district. His work was crucial for
effective measures to be adopted to halt these human rights violations. Chandra Nehru on the state of human rights in
the East and counseling measures to be adopted in providing humanitarian assistance to those affected by the Tsunami.
It is indeed a great tragedy for a person like Chandra Nehru to be gunned down in cold blood for having done so much for
the promotion of human rights in the East. In the broadest sense, this tragedy is a big blow for NESOHR and for the
international community that are both committed to promote peace and human rights in Sri Lanka in general and in the
Northeast in particular.
Specifically, the international community should impress upon the Sri Lankan government that killing of innocent
persons, including human rights activists, must be stopped. Paramilitary groups operating within the fold of the Sri
Lankan armed forces must be disarmed so that killings of this nature would not continue.
On behalf of NESOHR call upon the international community to exert maximum pressure on the Sri Lankan government to
investigate the matter and to bring to justice the perpetrators of this killing.
On behalf of NESOHR and the people in the NorthEast convey our condolences to and sympathy for the families of those
killed.
source: Rev. Fr. M.X. Karunaratnam - Chairman - NESOHR