Colombo, Sri Lanka Veteran politician and moderate Tamil leader R Sampanthan died while undergoing treatment at a hospital last night, the Tamil National Alliance has announced.
Sampanthan, 91, has led the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) since 2004 and became only the second Tamil to become the main opposition leader in the Sinhalese-majority country.
He was ill for a long time and was missing from the current parliamentary session for a long time.
He was a moderate Tamil who led the political movement to seek a negotiated political settlement of the Tamils' demand for political autonomy.
The Tamils have been demanding autonomy ever since they gained independence from Britain in 1948, which escalated into a bloody armed conflict in the mid-70s.
He took over as leader of the opposition in 2015 and was actively involved in the process of drafting a new constitution as of 2019.
A brilliant lawyer, Sampanthan first entered Parliament in 1977 from the Eastern Port District of Trincomalee.
Sampanthan, 91, has led the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) since 2004 and became only the second Tamil to become the main opposition leader in the Sinhalese-majority country.
He was ill for a long time and was missing from the current parliamentary session for a long time.
He was a moderate Tamil who led the political movement to seek a negotiated political settlement of the Tamils' demand for political autonomy.
The Tamils have been demanding autonomy ever since they gained independence from Britain in 1948, which escalated into a bloody armed conflict in the mid-70s.
He took over as leader of the opposition in 2015 and was actively involved in the process of drafting a new constitution as of 2019.
A brilliant lawyer, Sampanthan first entered Parliament in 1977 from the Eastern Port District of Trincomalee.
