An Open Letter to the Honorable British High Commissioner

( January 03, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) " I am a Sri Lankan living in England and express my indignation, and shame over the brutal murder of the British citizen and the Red Cross Worker Khuram Shaikh by a Sri Lankan regional politician on the Christmas Day in a holiday resort in Tangalle 2011," said a Sri Lankan who lives in British in his open letter to the British envoy here in Colombo.

Here full text of the letter;

Hon John Rankin

The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka

British High Commission

389 Bauddhaloka Mawatha

Colombo – 7

Dear Sir;

I am a Sri Lankan living in England and express my indignation, and shame over the brutal murder of the British citizen and the Red Cross Worker Khuram Shaikh by a Sri Lankan regional politician on the Christmas Day ( December 25, 2011) in a holiday resort in Tangalle. I extend my deepest sympathies to Khuram's family and friends. As a Sri Lankan I am shocked and deeply feel ashamed by this ruthless murder. All the Sri Lankan who believe in peace and equality strongly feel that the justice must be served to the victim's family.

Sri Lankans are hospitable, kind and a civilized nation with over 2500 years of history and this senseless killing of Khuram denotes a shameful blow to the country's image. Many peace loving Sri Lankans strongly condemn this murder.

Sri Lanka was dehumanised over 30 years by a Terrorist organization better known as the Tamil Tigers under the leadership of Prabhakaran and after his death still the country is under siege and unofficially controlled by power hungry politicians and their criminal gangs. Khurum and his girlfriend Victoria became the latest victims of this state sponsored terror.

On that fatal day Khuram was enjoying his holiday with his Russian girlfriend Victoria and a regional political figure named Sampath Chandra Pushpa Vidanapathirana, - the chairman of Tangalle village council forcibly entered the tourist hotel and joined the party as an uninvited guest. He was drunk and had come with his gang of thugs. When he saw Khuram 's girlfriend -Victoria he tried to take sexual advantages of her. Khuram stood bravely against the armed and intoxicated gang protecting his girlfriend. The thugs punched him and struck him with wooden chairs and broken bottles. Then he he was shot brought daylight in front of many people. Khuram’s girlfriend sustained serious injuries. This incident reminds us how the former Ugandan President Idi Amin once tried to harass a young couple while they were dancing attacking the man and then then forcibly taking his girlfriend to a room. What Ugandan people experienced several decades ago now Sri Lankans are experiencing first hand and these political mobs are ruining my beautiful motherland.

The killer is a close friend of Mr. Namal Rajapaksa MP - the son of the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. According to the eye witnesses soon after the murder the killer had phoned Mr. Namal Rajapaska to evade the arrest. He was arrested several days later after the authorities realized the seriousness of the murder. I have my personal doubts over the investigations that is being conducted by the Sri Lanka Police Department which is a corrupt institution and they always fulfill the dirty work of their political masters.

As you know the British Police Force is infected with racism and our Sri Lankan Police Department is full of political Interference and corruption. Both these institutions cannot be trusted. Therefore I am beginning to doubt that whether the justice would be served to Khuram’s family. Based on the past experiences with the murders committed by the politicians in this country there is a strong possibility that the perpetrator would walk free within an year and justice will not be served to the victims.

I have my doubts about the double standards of the British political and justice system that is ruined by racism and prejudices. The truth is Khuram was not a white Anglo Saxon and his death does not arouse strong emotions to the British officials. Therefore the British officials and the diplomats might not pressure the Sri Lankan government adequately enough to conduct an impartial trial. Apart from that the killer Sampath Chandra Pushpa Vidanapathirana has strong backing from the Sri Lankan President and his son. The Police might provide the courts with insufficient and breakable facts disregarding strong evidence to convict the murderer and naturally the Court will acquit the killer due to inadmissible evidence. This is the normal scenario in Sri Lanka if the accused is a Politician. This has happened before and it will happen again. Even if the killer is convicted and gets a sentence the President can give him a special pardon. Recently a man who had raped his own two children was freed under the Presidential pardon. After the independent newspapers protested the President revoked his decision. This will be the bitter reality of the murder of the British Citizen Khuram Shaikh and his family will never have peace.

If your government wants justice for the late Khuram Shaikh despite his ethnic background the British officials must conduct their separate investigation and continuously put pressure to the Sri Lankan Government to serve justice. Otherwise this senseless murder of Khuram and the sexual molestation and physical harm of Victoria would be another statistics.

N. S Perera

Southbury

London