Saturday, August 13 2005 10:56 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Colombo: The assassination of Lakshman Kadirgamar, the veteran Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, comes amid tensions between the Tamil tiger rebels and the Government and warnings of renewed violence by truce monitors.

Kadirgamar, who was shot dead by a sniper yesterday (Aug 12, 2005) night, had often said he was a potential target of Tamil tigers, for the close confidante of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, a Tamil himself, had taken a hard line stance against the rebels and was active in outlawing Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from many countries including the US and UK.

Though no one has claimed responsibility for the killing, Government officials blamed the tigers.

Tensions had peaked recently after recent exchanges of fire in rebel-controlled areas affected by tsunami disaster.

A political wrangle over a deal to share tsunami aid in devastated northeastern provinces had led the truce monitors to warn of renewed violence.

Rebels themselves had given similar warnings, accusing the Government of conducting a covert war against them.

Police said only days earlier that there were plans to step up security for Kadirgamar with additional guards. Some 100 personnel were already guarding him.

Born in April 12, 1932, Kadirgamar was a close aide and advisor of Kumaratunga and was appointed Foreign Minister by her in April 2004. He had previously held this position between 1994 and 2001.

He was a long-time supporter of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Foreign Minister in the SLFP Government of Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike.

He strongly supported the Bandaranike Government

Despite being a Tamil Christian, he strongly supported the Bandaranaike Government's policy of not negotiating with the rebels.

After the defeat of the Government in 2001, the Oxford-educated lawyer became a special adviser on Foreign Affairs to Kumaratunga.

In 2003, the native of Jaffna, the northern heartland of Tamil separatism, was a candidate for the position of Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, but was defeated by Don McKinnon of New Zealand.

Following the victory of the United People's Freedom Alliance in the April 2, 2004 Sri Lankan legislative elections, Kadirgamar was mentioned as a candidate for Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, but on April 6 President Kumaratunga appointed Mahinda Rajapakse to the post.

Four days later, however, he became Foreign Minister again in the new cabinet.

Kadirgamar was educated at Trinity College, Kandy, and obtained a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree from the University of Ceylon in 1953.

He has a B.Lit. from Oxford University. He practiced law at the Ceylon Bar and in London until 1974, when he became a consultant to the International Labor Organization in Geneva.