Another Red Cross Volunteer Killed

A volunteer of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society found dead after he was abducted by a group of unidentified gunmen on Friday,amids UN staff union is due to advice their 13000 strong staff members to avoid assignments in Sri Lanka, this week. Sooriyakanthi Thavarajah (40) who received "Best Volunteer" award from the SLRCS for the contribution he made during the tsunami tragedy, found dead yesterday in Jaffna, International Committee of Red Cross announced today. "We are shocked by another senseless brutal murder of one of our volunteers"said Mr. Jagath Abeysinghe,the President of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society in a joint communique issued with the ICRC and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies condeming the killing.

Early this year two volunteers of SLRCS abducted in the broad day light in Colombo Fort Railway station and murdered following day. After a visit to Sri Lanka last August, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Sir John Holmes said "Sri Lanka is the most dangerous place in the world for aid workers". Chief Government whip Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle hit back at Sir Holmes and said "that he is a "terrorists" in the pay role of LTTE".
Subsequently the government said the remarks made by the minister was not the Government stance.

Last month Government has demanded the removal of 04 of International staff members of UNICEF office in Colombo after found them were at the demonstration against the killing of two Red Cross workers last June. Sri Lanka also banned the Green Chanel entry facility at Air Port Customs for UNICEF officials,after Marxist Nationalistic Party JVP demanded it just a week before the crucial budget voting on last week. United Nations Staff Union will set to advice its members to avoid Sri Lankan assignments saying that "Recent attacks and accusations are affecting the ability of the United Nations to carry out its mission".