Rajan Hoole

Michael Richard Ratnarajan Hoole (commonly known as Rajan Hoole) is a Sri Lankan Tamil mathematician, academic and human rights activist. He was one of the founders of University Teachers for Human Rights (UTHR) which documented human rights abuses during the Sri Lankan Civil War.

Early life and family Hoole is the son of eldest son of Rev. Richard Herbert Ratnathurai Hoole and Jeevamany Somasundaram. He was educated at Chundikuli Girls' College, St. John's College, Jaffna and S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia.

Hoole is married to Kirupa (Kirubai) Selvadurai, a fellow academic from the University of Jaffna. He is the brother of Ratnajeevan Hoole.

Career Hoole worked as a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics at the National University of Singapore. Following the assassination of Rajini Thiranagama, one of the founders of UTHR(J), in 1989, many members of UTHR(J) left the organisation. In 2007 Hoole and Sritharan received the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders.

Hoole is currently a senior lecturer at the University of Jaffna's Department of Mathematics and Statistics. He was trained as a classical pianist.

Works The Broken Palmyra: The Tamil Crisis in Sri Lanka - an Inside Account (1988, UHarvey Mudd College California) (co-author) Sri Lanka: the Arrogance of Power : Myths, Decadence and Murder (2001, University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna))