16 Facts About Lakshman Kadirgamar

Sri Lankabhimanya Lakshman Kadirgamar, PC was a Sri Lankan lawyer and statesman.

Lakshman Kadirgamar served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka from 1994 to 2001 and again from April 2004 until his assassination in August 2005.

Lakshman Kadirgamar was the winner of the Senior Batting Prize in 1948, a Rugger Coloursman in 1948 and 1949, Trinity Athletics Lion in 1949, and winner of the first Duncan White Challenge Cup for Athletics in 1948.

In 1950 Lakshman Kadirgamar went on to study law at the University of Ceylon in Colombo and the year after in Peradeniya, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1953.

Lakshman Kadirgamar was the holder of the All India Inter University 110-metre hurdles title in both 1951 and 1952.

Lakshman Kadirgamar was the top student with a First Class at the Advocates Intermediate Examination in 1953 of the Ceylon Law College.

Lakshman Kadirgamar's thesis was on "Strict Liability in English and Roman-Dutch Law".

Lakshman Kadirgamar was part of the defense team of the accused of the coup d'etat that was attempted in 1962.

Lakshman Kadirgamar left Ceylon in 1971 following the JVP insurrection that year, moving to England, practising in London for three years.

Lakshman Kadirgamar held the post till 2001, playing a significant role in having the LTTE banned internationally.

Lakshman Kadirgamar became critical of the attempts to negotiate with the Tamil Tigers insurgents in northern Sri Lanka, and of the Ceasefire Agreement concluded on 22 February 2002 between the government and the Tamil Tigers.

On 20 November 2003, Lakshman Kadirgamar declared his candidacy for the position of Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Lakshman Kadirgamar stood with the support of South Africa, which was critical of incumbent Don McKinnon's opposition to Zimbabwean involvement in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2003, at which Zimbabwe withdrew from the organisation.

The daughter, Ajita Perera Kadirgama, became a broadcaster and son, Sriraghavan Jebaratnam Christian "Ragee" Lakshman Kadirgamar, became an architect.

Lakshman Kadirgamar's funeral was held according to Buddhist rites, but one of the speakers was the Anglican bishop of Colombo.

On 12 August 2005, around 2300, Lakshman Kadirgamar was shot by an LTTE sniper in Colombo as he was getting out of the swimming pool at his private residence in Cinnamon Gardens.