I would like to say a few words on behalf of SCOPP on this sad occasion. Kethesh was a friend and a loyal colleague. He was gunned down in an act of appalling barbarity. He had no time to defend himself – no time to explain. He was just shot. He would have explained his views convincingly. He thought clearly. He spoke eloquently and he was an intellect. However, he was made to pay the ultimate price for just being that.

The only sin that Kethesh committed was to be different – he chose to be a dissident. He had his own political views. For this he paid with his life and he joined a long list of Tamil dissidents who have sacrificed their lives and who have been hunted down to satisfy the remorseless blood-lust of the LTTE. We must protect the right to dissent – freedom of thought must be upheld. We must all ensure that Kethesh did not die in vain.

Let me on behalf of SCOPP take this opportunity to thank all those who have come to pay their last respects to a brave man who stood for what was right, for democracy and yearned for peace in Sri Lanka.