Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam, born on January 31, 1944, was a prominent Sri Lankan lawyer and academic whose career was marked by significant contributions to human rights, constitutional reform, and conflict resolution. Educated at Harvard Law School, where he also served as a visiting professor, he was known for his expertise in legal scholarship and his dedication to democratic processes. Tiruchelvam's work extended beyond academia into practical realms where he played a key role in international election monitoring missions in countries such as Chile, Kazakhstan, and South Africa, demonstrating his commitment to upholding democratic principles and human rights in challenging environments.

In Sri Lanka, Tiruchelvam’s efforts were particularly focused on addressing the protracted ethnic conflict that plagued the country. His involvement in the formulation of constitutional reform proposals, particularly the “Union of Regions” proposal which was publicized on August 3rd 1995, was aimed at creating a more equitable and decentralized political structure to address the grievances of the Tamil minority and end the ongoing civil war. His proposals sought to replace the centralized unitary state with a system that provided greater autonomy to regional authorities, aiming to offer a more balanced and inclusive approach to governance. Despite his significant efforts, these proposals faced resistance, and Tiruchelvam's work was tragically cut short by an assassination carried out by a Tamil separatist rebel group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on July 29th 1999, a group that opposed his stance towards implementing a peaceful solution to the ethnic conflict under a united Sri Lanka.