Tribute by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Following is the text of the message of Secretary-General Kofi Annan -– which was delivered on his behalf by Francesc Vendrell — at the memorial for Neelan Tiruchelvam, held in January 2000 in Colombo, Sri Lanka: I am honoured to join my voice to those who have assembled in Colombo today to celebrate the […]
Tribute by IK Gujral
We have reproduced the lecture in memory of Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam, by the former Indian Prime Minister IK Gujral. Neelan offered his deep knowledge and commitment to democracyBy I. K. Gujral When I was last in Sri Lanka three years ago, little did I realise that this, my next visit would see me standing before […]
Tribute by Radhika Coomaraswamy
We reproduce a tribute by Radhika Coomaraswamy, then Director of the International Centre for Ethnic Studies, which was published in the Sunday Times on 22nd August 1999. “I shall not look upon his like again” (Hamlet Act 1 sc. 2) A few days before he died, Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam gave a memorial lecture on one […]
Tribute by Canadian Foreign Minister Axworthy
CANADA CONDEMNS THE MURDER OF SRI LANKAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT DR. NEELAN TIRUCHELVAM Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy and Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) Raymond Chan today strongly condemned the murder of Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam on July 29, 1999. Dr. Tiruchelvam was a leading figure in the search for a peaceful solution to Sri Lanka’s long-standing […]
Tribute By Roberto Unger
We reproduce a tribute by Dr. Tiruchelvam’s friend Prof. Roberto Unger of Harvard Law School. It was delivered on September 17, 1999 at a memorial held at Harvard Law School. Prof. Unger is now the Minister of Strategic Planning in Brazil. Neelan Tiruchelvam had an idea and a passion. His idea was that we are […]
Tribute By Michael Ondaatje
Michal Ondaatje paid tribute to Neelan Tiruchelvam when he accepted the PEP award in April 2011 in New York. “The book rested on her lap, like a doorway.” D.H. Lawrence wrote that in The Rainbow, in 1915. Today we’re luckier, living in a time of great translations and translators. We can be influenced by every […]
Tribute By Chief Justice Sarath Silva
The Sri Lankan Supreme Court last Friday paid tribute to the late Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam, PC in January 2000. The Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva said on the occasion: ‟Dr. Tiruchelvam was indeed a man of many parts, who excelled in several spheres of activity. He was firstly a legal luminary who gained national and […]
Tribute by President Bill Clinton to Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam
Hillary and I were shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Neelan Tiruchelvam at the hands of terrorists in Sri Lanka today. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife and family. Neelan Tiruchelvam was a constitutional lawyer and human rights advocate who was well-known and well-respected far beyond his country. He devoted himself […]
