M. X. Karunaratnam

Rev Father M. X. Karunaratnam
Father Killi
Born	April 12, 1951 Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Died	April 20, 2008 Vanni Sri Lanka
Occupation	Parish Priest, Human Rights activist and Chairperson of NESHOR

Reverend Father Mariampillai Xavier Karunaratnam was a minority Sri Lankan Tamil, Roman Catholic parish priest and a human rights activist. He was the Chairperson of the pro-LTTE [1] NESHOR and was killed on 20 April 2008 allegedly by a Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lankan Army .^[1][2][3][4]

He had been noted in many instances for having attempted to whitewash the LTTE of its human rights violations and even going to the length of covering up its violations[2].

Biography

M. X. Karunaratnam was born in Jaffna.He was an officer with the Bank of Ceylon before he was opdained as a priest in 1989.Father Karunaratnam was founder and Chairman of NESHOR.He was also the Chairman of NGO Consortium of Jaffna. He was engaged in relief work for War displaced and worked in the Tsunami relief.^[5]

Background

M. X. Karunaratnam was a priest of the Jaffna Diocese and served in the Vanni region of Sri Lanka and worked from the LTTE controlled parts of Sri Lanka.^[6] He worked for human rights and called on the United Nations and foreign human rights organisation to monitor the human rights situation in Sri Lanka . ^{[3][7][8] [9]} Earlier two other NESHOR members and Tamil National Alliance MPs Ariyanayagam Chandra Nehru and Joseph Pararajasingham were killed. He was extremely critical of the Sri Lankan government.^[10][11]

Incident

He was killed in the Mallaavi-Vavunikku'lam Road in Vanni after he was returning from a Sunday mass and going to a remembrance ceremony for a Tamil National Alliance MP a pro LTTE party Kiddinan Sivanesan who was also killed similar fashion. He killed by a claymore blast carried out allegedly by a Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) of the Sri Lanka Army.^[3][12][13]

Reaction

Rev Fr. Damian Fernando National Director of Caritas Sri Lanka said,

"He was an example of courage, strength and humanity and will be missed by all.He also showed endless empathy towards refugees and displaced people while working tirelessly to improve their living standards.

^[14] National Peace Council of Sri Lanka has called his death

"A Lamentable Loss to Civil Society and to the Country

^[15]

See also

• Joseph Pararajasingham
• K. Sivanesan
• Ariyanayagam Chandra Nehru

References

1. ^ NESOHR Condemns Father Karunaratnam's Assassination
2. ^ Prominent priest killed in Sri Lanka blast
3. ^ ^{a b c} NESoHR Chairman Fr. Karunaratnam killed in DPU attack
4. ^ Targeted Killing of Rev. M. X. Karunaratnam is a War Crime
5. ^ SRI LANKA Catholic Priest Killed Returning From Sunday Mass
6. ^ Rev. Fr. Karunaratnam of Jaffna Diocese Killed in a claymore blast
7. ^ Appeal to UN on Bindunuwewa
8. ^ Sri Lanka: Killing of human rights defender Reverend Father M X Karunaratnam
9. ^ Priest Killed BBC
10. ^ Fr. Karunaratnam killed in DPU attack
11. ^ Monthly Report
12. ^ Sri Lanka :of human rights defender Rev. Fr. M X Karunaratnam
13. ^ 2008 Report on International Religious Freedom - Sri Lanka
14. ^ CAFOD mourns Sri Lankan bomb victim
15. ^ NPC laments Rev Fr Karunaratnam assassination

External links

• M. X. Karunaratnam
• Tribute to M. X. Karunaratnam
• Father Karunaratnam: martyred serving the Tamil people
• TIC Mourns Fr. Karunaratnam
• Church condemns 'cowardly' killing of Sri Lanka priest
• Sangam Grieves Loss of Fr. Karunaratnam

Persondata
Name	Karunaratnam, M. X.
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	April 12, 1951
Place of birth	Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Date of death	April 20, 2008
Place of death	Vanni Sri Lanka