The year 2008 began in Sri Lanka with horrendous violence in the capital Colombo - the assassination of the opposition United National Party (UNP) MP for Colombo District, T Maheswaran. He faced grave threat to his life following the instruction of the Ministry of Defence to the Inspector General of Police in December 2007 to withdraw personnel from the security units of several parliamentarians, including his security unit. This incident points to a systematic campaign of intimidation and terror aimed at opponents of the Sri Lankan government and human rights defenders.