Suicide bomber kills Lankan MP

While Thiruchelvam8217;s driver and his bodyguard were critically wounded, three policemen in an escort jeep behind the car were also injured.

Eyewitnesses said the suicide bomber was riding pillion on a motorcycle which slowly edged its way to the car waiting to take a turn at a busy junction. The bomber got off the bike, ran to the car8217;s rear left where Thiruchelvam was seated, and exploded himself.

The motorcycle driver, who sustained a gaping wound on his head in the explosion, rode off screaming in pain, one eyewitness said. The incident happened at 9.30 am as Thiruchelvam was going from his home to his office, both located within a kilometer of each other and in the immediate vicinity of Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranike8217;s home.

Thiruchelvam8217;s death will leave another big void in Moderate Tamil politics in Sri Lanka. The slain MP was also the vice-president of the Tamil United Liberation Front TULF, the oldest party in the country and the only one that has stayed away from guns.

Thiruchelvam, a nominated MP, was not among those specifically warned. However, he had been told to take a different route to his office each time, but he apparently did not heed the advice. He once laughingly told this correspondent that the traffic jams on the short road from his home to his office made quot;a mockeryquot; of his security arrangements.

Thiruchelvam is survived by his wife and two sons.

R Sampanthan, the party8217;s general secretary, said, quot;It is a tragic and immense loss to the party, to the Tamil speaking people of Sri Lanka and to the country. He was a Moderate who worked for constitutional reforms for peace in Sri Lanka.quot;

Along with Constitutional Affairs and Justice Minister G L Peiris, Dr Neelan as he was popularly known, was a behind-the-scene architect of President Chandrika Kumaratunga8217;s package of Constitutional reforms that promises extensive devolution to Tamil dominated north-eastern Sri Lanka.

quot;He contributed immensely to the constitutional reforms, not only as an intellectual but also as a Tamil leader,quot; said Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu of the Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Thiruchelvam also headed the International Centre for Ethnic Studies here, a dynamic institution for research on issues relating mainly to South Asia.

Last month, the LTTE had issued a warning to three TULF MPs of Batticalao to desist from political activities in their constituency and to stop interacting with the public. The group had also threatened the public not to get involved with the MPs as they may be caught in the cross-fire.

In the last two years, the LTTE has killed three MPs, one of whom was also from TULF. The other two were from PLOTE and UNP.

Last year, the LTTE also gunned down Jaffna8217;s elected mayor, Sarojini Yogeswaran, and within months, her successor Pon Sivapalan. Both were from the TULF.

Transport Minister A H M Fowzie, who visited the scene of attack, said, quot;They want to kill all of us. Everybody is a target.quot;