Who killed the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister?

On Friday, Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister and an outspoken critic of the Tamil Tigers, was killed by snipers. The Tamil Tigers said they are not responsible for the assassination, but the Sri Lankan Government has rejected the denial.

By way of background, for most of the past two decades, Sri Lanka has been gripped in a brutal civil war between the predominantly Sinhalese Sri Lankan Government* and the separatist Tamil Tigers. After several attempts, a comprehensive peace agreement was reached between the two antagonists in 2002. Despite the agreement, tensions have remained high. Some clashes had continued following the agreement, but they had avoided reaching the same scale as was occurring at the height of the civil war. Until, perhaps, now.

Most reports of the assassination have noted that it bears the "hallmark" of the Tamil Tigers, and one can't readily ignore that conclusion. Still, you have to wonder who exactly benefits from the present situation. There's always a chance that a rogue element within the Tigers was behind the attack. But that is really just conjecture on my part.

A spokesperson from the Tigers said...

There are several forces opposed to the ceasefire agreement in the South [ie: amongst the Sinhalese population]. We also know that there are sections within the Sri Lankan armed forces operating with a hidden agenda to sabotage the agreement.

For those of us who have waited anxiously for long term peace on the island, it's time to have a stiff drink. Whoever is behind the attack, there is no doubt the assassination is a major setback to the peace process. Here's hoping it isn't also a set back for democracy in Sri Lanka. In response to the assassination, President Kumaratunga has placed the country under a State of Emergency.

* Although note that Kadirgamar was himself Tamil.

UPDATE: here's a few interesting entries on the assassination from some Lankans.