Anton Balasingham
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| Anton Balasingham | |
|---|---|
 Balasingham in June 2006
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| Born | March 4, 1938 Jaffna, Sri Lanka |
| Died | December 14, 2006 London, United Kingdom |
| Occupation | chief political strategist, chief negotiator |
| Spouse | Adele Ann Wilby |
Anton Stanislaus Balasingham (March 4, 1938 – December 14, 2006) was the chief political strategist and chief negotiator of the separatist militant group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which is banned by EU, the USA and several other countries as a terrorist organization. He was a British citizen of minority Tamil origin from Sri Lanka.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
He was born in Jaffna on the 4th of March in the minority Sri Lankan Tamil dominated Northern Province of Sri Lanka. His father was a Hindu and mother a Roman Catholic. His father also hailed from Eastern province where as his mother was a native Jaffna Tamil. Although brought up a Christian, he became an atheist in his adult life[citation needed].
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| Background |
| Origins of the Civil War |
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• Origins of the Civil War |
| LTTE |
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• LTTE • Attributed Terrorist attacks • Child Soldiers |
| Major figures |
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• Mahinda Rajapakse |
| Indian Involvement |
| See also |
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• Military of Sri Lanka |
[edit] Career
After his graduation from school in Jaffna, he worked as a journalist in a Colombo newspaper and as a translator at the British High Commission in Colombo. Balasingham was initially married to a Sri Lankan Tamil. After she died due to the complications of chronic renal failure, he married Adele Ann Wilby in London, UK, in 1978. Adele, an Australian citizen and a nurse by professional training, became a prominent member of the women’s wing of the LTTE.
In the past, Adele herself has been involved in the peace talks, as the secretary of the LTTE delegation. In April 2002, Anton Balasingaham appeared alongside LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in a rare press conference in the LTTE held town of Kilinochchi in Sri Lanka.
From the Thimphu talks in 1985 to the first round of the Geneva talks held on February 22-23, 2006 Balasingham was the head of the LTTE delegation in all the peace negotiations with the government of Sri Lanka.[1][2] However, he could not participate in an October round because of ill health, and in November 2006, Balasingham was diagnosed with cancer. He suffered from diabetes, Motor Neurone Disease, a degenerative disease of the nervous system, and possibly medicine-induced bile duct cancer.[3]
[edit] Death and funeral
His funeral was organized at Alexandra Palace in north London. Many Expatriate Tamils and others from London and from places such as Switzerland, France, Canada, US, Australia, Norway and Germany came to pay respect. [4].
His casket was placed at the front of the Palace’s Great Hall and was escorted in by an honour guard, white gloved and dressed in black suits. After a brief initial ceremony, where many activists around the world participated by placing flower petals on Balasingham’s body, followed by a line of families with children, youth and older people and other notable persons.[4]
While paying respects, many were seen to weep openly, others prayed and some lifted their young children so they also could place petals. Tamil expatriate community organizations from across the world had sent representatives and they placed wreaths and bouquets alongside the casket. Balasingham was cremated shortly afterwards at a private ceremony. [4]
Following the funeral, posters were seen pasted in Tamil in Britain condemning the money spent for funeral of Anton Balasingham by the LTTE. The posters were critical of the renting of the Palace's Great Hall at the cost of 8 millions of Sri Lankan rupees by the LTTE for the final funeral rites, while they cited that people in the north and east of Sri Lanka were facing possible death due to starvation [5].
[edit] Reactions
[edit] LTTE
Rebel leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran said in a rare emotional statements that
| “ | The light of our nation is extinguished, there is no Bala with me today to seek counsel and solace. | ” |
and that:
| “ | His death comes at a time when we needed him most, as our freedom struggle intensifies. I cannot find words to express my grief and loss. | ” |
[edit] Government of Sri Lanka
The Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka commented
| “ | His life long achievement is considered to be his ability to manipulate peace negotiations and postpone them indefinitely under various ruses until his movement could raise enough funds from the Tamil Diaspora and rearm the Tamil Tiger cadres strong enough to face the Sri Lanka army. | ” |
[1].
[edit] State Government of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi who in his condolence message had stated
| “ | I am unable to bear the sorrow over the death of my friend Mr Anton Balasingham, who I have known for many years. | ” |
According to the Asian Tribune, he was criticised by Dr. Subramanian Swamy a prominent Indian politician who is a staunch critic of the LTTE who claimed
| “ | Balasingham was a terrorist who at least once has publicly and arrogantly relished the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. In 1995 he had warned the then President of Sri Lanka, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga that she would face the same fate as Rajiv Gandhi if she confronted the LTTE. | ” |
[2].
[edit] International Media
Priyath Liyanage the Editor of BBC Sinhala service wrote that Balasingham's death is a loss to both sides of the Sri Lankan civil war. He credited Balasingam as the only moderating force within an otherwise belligerent rebel group and the only man within the group that could criticize and influence the leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. He added that Balasingam was known for his relentless attempts to bring the Tigers to the international negotiating arena. It was mainly due to his perseverance that the Tigers acquired a reputation as a progressive organization among certain liberals in the west.
He also credited Balasingam with bringing the attention of the world to a forgotten war in this small island nation. Although Balasingham was plagued with physical ailments he valiantly attended all the peace talks. According to Liyanage, Balasingam’s death will be a blow not only to the Tamil Tigers but also to many in the south of the country as he provided a thread of hope for a peaceful resolution to the seemingly intractable and escalating conflict of Sri Lanka. [8].
[edit] References
- ^ Anton Balasingham afflicted by rare cancer. TamilNet. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.
- ^ Ceasefire Talks. Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.
- ^ Anton Balasingham – will he or will he not lead LTTE delegation to Geneva talks?. Asiantribune. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.
- ^ a b c >Thousands show up for funeral for Anton Balasingham. Tamilnet. Retrieved on 2006-12-21.
- ^ Posters condemn funeral show for Anton Balasingham. Asian Tribune. Retrieved on 2006-12-21.
- ^ LTTE's Anton Balasingham 68, Dies of Cancer. (2006, December 22). India-West, p. A8.
- ^ Tamil Tigers mourn for ideologue BBC - December 15, 2006
- ^ Anton Balasingham. BBC world. Retrieved on 2006-12-22.
