Visvanathan Rudrakumaran

V. Rudrakumaran
Born	Sri Lanka
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Sri Lanka Law College, Southern Methodist University, Harvard University
Occupation	Lawyer
Known for	Prime Minister of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam

Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran (Tamil: விசுவநாதன் உருத்ரகுமாரன்) is the prime minister of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam,^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]} which aims to realize accountability for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide committed by Sri Lanka against the Tamil minority and to create a separate Tamil state, called Tamil Eelam^[7][8] in Sri Lanka. He was the former legal advisor to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). By profession he is a lawyer in the United States. He is currently a US citizen and lives in New York City.^[9][10]

Early life

Rudrakumaran is the son of the former Jaffna Mayor Rajah Viswanathan. He studied at Jaffna Central College and earned law degrees from the Sri Lanka Law College and the Southern Methodist University. He also studied law for a period at Harvard, and is an expert in immigration law.^[11][12]

Career

Legal advisor to LTTE

Prior to the military defeat of the LTTE, he was the international legal advisor to the organization's supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran and in-charge of its international and diplomatic affairs. Rudrakumaran made valuable contributions to the LTTE, including coordinating lawyers in the defense of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, assisting in Suresh Manikkavasagam trial in Canada and challenging US decision to name LTTE as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 1997.^[13] He has represented the LTTE in several peace talks with the Government of Sri Lanka.^[14][15]

Prime Minister of Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam

Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran is currently heading the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam as its prime minister.^[16] To date referendums have been held in seven countries (Norway, France, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands and United Kingdom).^[17]

Further reading

• Venugopal, Vasudha (15 January 2015). "Sirirsena no different from his predecessor Rajapaksa: Visvanathan Rudrakumaran". The Economic Times.

See also

• Tamil Eelam independence referendums, 2009-2010

References

1. Solomon, Jesse (13 March 2012). "Funeral held for American journalist killed in Syria". CNN. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
2. "நோர்வே அறிக்கை- உருத்ரகுமாரன் கருத்து". BBC News Tamil. 14 November 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
3. "Four Years after a Tamil Defeat, the Diaspora Regroups". Inter Press Service. 25 October 2013.
4. Susan Snow Wadley (27 December 2013). South Asia in the World: An Introduction. M.E. Sharpe. pp. 213–. ISBN 978-0-7656-3968-4. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
5. Venugopal, Vasudha (15 January 2015). "Sirirsena no different from his predecessor Rajapaksa: Visvanathan Rudrakumaran". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
6. Taylor Dibbert (1 November 2017). "Challenging Sri Lanka's Sixth Amendment". HuffPost. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
7. "TGTE calls on UN High Commissioner of Human Rights to 'halt' Sri Lanka's UNHRC 'charade'". FT. 2 March 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
8. "Rudrakumaran: Man with a Mission in Pursuit of Eelam – Ilankai Tamil Sangam". sangam.org.
9. "Challenging Sri Lanka's Sixth Amendment". Taylor Dibbert. Hufffington Post. 11 January 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
10. "Ex LTTE negotiator tells TNA to push for Eelam". 3 September 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
11. "THE BOTTOM LINE". 13 June 2012. Archived from the original on 13 June 2012.
12. "Sri Lanka Transnational Government Tamil Eelam Prime Minister Hopes for Support from Cuba and Latin America". Ron Ridenour. Salem News. 2 October 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
13. "Rudrakumaran emerges as Diaspora leader". The Island. tamilnewsnetwork.com. 13 February 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
14. "'We Will Become A Power Centre' - Rudrakumaran". Tehelka. 8 August 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
15. "Sri Lanka Publications Twist Judicial Reprimand to Defane Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran". Salem News.com. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
16. "Keeping International Pressure on Sri Lanka". HuffPost. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
17. "Eezham Tamil mandate picks up global momentum". Tamilnet. 3 November 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2021.

External links

• Tamil exiles to form 'government'
• TamilNet
• TamilNet
• TamilNet
• [1]