TAMIL GENOCIDE CROSSED HALF A CENTURY TO REACH THE CLIMAX
85.
Mailanthai massacre 09.08.1992
The villages of Mailanthai and Punanai are border villages of the Batticaloa
district. The people in the villages of Mailanthai and Punanai were frequently
rounded up and attacked by the military from the Punanai military camp.
On 09.08.1992, the military rounded up Mailanthanai and began
attacking the villagers with knives, swords and guns. More than 50 people were
killed. Many more were injured. Further details of this massacre are not yet
available.
86.
Kilali massacre 1992, 1993
During the years of 1992 and 1993, the Sri Lankan Navy has
brutally massacred Tamil civilians crossing the Jaffna Lagoon through Kilaly. A very conservative estimate is that over a 150 Tamil civilians
have lost their lives here. A further 100 people were made permanently disabled
by the attacks and another 150 sustained serious injuries.
!
Knowing full well that this sea journey is hazardous, hundreds and
hundreds of people from all walks of life and all ages and both sexes have
undertaken this night journey in boats powered with outboard motors. These
unarmed civilians take the risk of death because they have urgent business to
transact down South or to contact their relatives there or travel abroad or for
medical treatments. It is such people who were being massacred at Kilaly and
not, as the Sri Lankan State
claimed, terrorists who ‘have been killed’.
On 02.01.1993, at 8 pm, 4 passenger boats developed engine trouble
and drifted away from the small convoy of boats traversing the lagoon. Navy
boats surrounded the four drifting boats and then naval personnel had boarded
them, opened fire indiscriminately, hacked and stabbed the passengers and set
one boat on fire. On the 11th, 11 corpses, in a highly decomposed stated, were
washed ashore at Pooneryn-Nallur and were buried along the shores of the
lagoon.
A letter from P Vinayagamoorthy, Secretary of Red Cross,
Kilinochchi dated 12.01.1993, is as follows: “We submit the following
details of an incident that took place at the Kilaly – Alankerny on 2.01.1993. It had
been reported that four boats with passengers had been mercilessly attacked by
the Navy at 8pm on 2.01.1993 in the Poonahari Lagoon. At about 8pm these boats
were surrounded by Navy Boats and after firing warning shots, the Navy personnel
had boarded the passenger boats. We were given to understand theyhave, without
considerations opened fire on old, sick, children and woman and had stabbed the
hacked passengers. They also set one boat on fire.On receipt of information we
rushed to the scene with thirty five volunteers in the early hours on
03.01.1993 and observed that 19 bodies were floating. We with the assistance of
volunteers and public retrieved all the dead bodies and transported them by
SLRC vehicle to the Kilinochchi
District Hospital
and the relatives were informed wherever possible. On 5.01.1993, another 10
bodies were retrieved in a highly decomposed state beyond recognition and
identification and those bodies were buried along the sea shore. On 6.01.93 six
more bodies were retrieved in a highly decomposed state and those bodies were
also buried along the sea shore. All the 35 bodes recovered to date were
mutilated with gun shot and stab injuries and some burnt beyond recognition.
Only 18 bodies have been identified and the others were buried without
identification. In addition to the above 5 injured persons were brought to Kilinochchi District Hospital.
One of them a woman, seriously injured and sent to Vavunia Hospital
succumbed to her injuries. The balance 4 were rendered first aid and
transferred to Jaffna Government Hospital on 5.01.1993.Two persons had
miraculously escaped without any injury and according to their statement, the
Navy Personnel, after causing the damages as described above, hitched several
passenger boats to the Navy Boats and were towing them to mid sea. Some
distance away from the scene of the tragedy, the boat in which these two were
traveling, had dislodged, they had then jumped off the boat and reached the shore
by swimming. Many of the passengers who traveled on this day are said to be yet
missing. The above incident has caused a lot of inconvenience to the civilians
who were using this route to travel to and from Kilaly and over thousand
passengers are stuck up at Poonahari. They are undergoing a lot of hardship
without shelter, food and medical facilities.”
On 29.07.1993, navy personnel
who came in five gun boats carried out a large-scale massacre of civilian
passengers. Two boats carrying a full load of passengers were attacked, one at
2.30am and the other at 4.00 am. Including the boatman, there were altogether
35 people in the boat at the time. These boats were on their way from Alankerny
to Allipallai.Kanapathypillai Peethamparam,
62 years old, was on the boat on the 29.07.1993.Her account is as follows,”
I returned from Wellawatte after seeing a relative of mine who is sick. At
about4.30 a.m Sri Lankan Navy forces came in five gun boats forwards us from Elephant Pass army camp. On coming they fired at
us. Bullets fell everywhere. To escape from firing I crept inside the engine
room of the boat. At the same time another boat also was experiencing the same
fate. After this a huge bomb fell close to our boat and exploded with a big
noise. Due to explosion four passengers including two ladies died on the spot.
Another person’s right hand mangled and fell on to me. Owing to this the whole
of my body was soaked in blood. Another person’s leg was smashed.
Many of them were injured. Some
of them jumped into the sea (The boatmen also jumped our earlier). The Naval
boat which came closer to our boat attacked us, we begged them saying that we
are innocent and we surrender even though they fired at us. The Navy personnel
were tired due to the continuous attack and they left the place. The boat in
which we were, was about to sink at that time we dropped all the bicycles which
were in the boat into the sea.”
87.
Maaththalan bombing 18.09.1993
Maaththalan is one of the coastal villages in the Mullaithivu district.Most
of the people depend on fishing for their livelihood. The beach also doubles up as their leisure area. People of this
village had to travel 4 Kms to Puthukkudiyiruppu for purchasing their daily
needs. Even to market their fish catch they had to travel this distance.From
the start of the conflict the Sri Lankan Navy has put restrictions on fishing. It
also started to attack the fishermen at the sea. Fishermen were forced continue
fishing for their livelihood. On 18.09.1993, people were gathered for the
opening of a new public Community Hall that will serve the communities needs.
There were many displaced people among them who had displaced from Jaffna and Kilinochchi.
At 4.00 pm a Sri Lankan military helicopter flew past and must have noticed the
gathering. At 5.30 pm the Sri Lankan Air Force bombers appeared and dropped
more than 10 bombs. Three bombs fell on the brand new hall.13 civilians died on
the spot. More than 40 were injured.
88.
Chavakachcheri Sangaththanai bombing 8.09.1993
Chavakachcheri is in the Jaffna
district. The area has large coconut and Palmarah estates.Sangaththanai village
is just 500 metres from the Chavakachcheri town centre. The Sri Lankan military
increased its aerial bombing and shelling of civilians areas as part of their
battle with the LTTE. The civilians have become accustomed to building trenches
in the ground to take protection during bombing and shelling.The large bunker
in the Uthayan wood mill in this village gave protection to many villagers.
On 28.09.1993, Sri Lankan Air Force bombers started to circle the
area.More than 35 people took protection in the bunker at the Uthayan wood
mill.The bombers directly targeted the bunker. Three bombs were dropped on the
bunker. 30 people including babies died in the bunker. Only five survived with
injuries. A memorial at the Uthayan wood mill commemorates those who lost their
lives in this bombing.
89.
Kokuvil temple massacre & bombing 29.09.1993
Kokuvil is in the Jaffna
district.Katpulaththu-Amman temple is located in Kokuvil. The temple is 250 years
old. This historic temple was bombed by the Indian military in 1988 and by the Sri
Lankan military in 1993.
In September 1988, the Indian
military that drove past the temple opened fire at the devotees and three were
killed on the spot. Five more devotees were injured. On 29.09.1993, Sri Lankan
Air Force bombed this same temple and three more devotees at the temple were
killed.
90.
Kurunagar church bombing 13.11.1993
Kurunagar is just one Kms from the Jaffna town centre along the coast. The Kurunagar church was built in 1881. On
13.11.1993, people were gathered for prayers when Sri Lankan Air Force bombers
dropped two bombs on the church. Ten people were killed and more 25 were
injured. The church was badly damaged. This bombing was condemned by the world
leaders. The pillars supporting the main hall were broken to smithereens and they
are kept even today near the altar. A memorial was also built for those killed
in the bombing near the entrance to the church.
91.
Chundikulam massacre 18.02.1994
Thoduvai-Vaikal is a fishing settlement in the Chundikulam village
in the Kilinochchi district. On 18.02.1994, at 5.15 am the fishermen were going
into the sea for fishing. The Sri Lankan Naval Dvora boats that arrived began opening
fire at the fishermen. Some of the fishermen had jumped into the sea to save
their lives. Others had cut the nets off and were attempting speed back to the
shore. The firing was heard by the villagers at the shore. Worried villagers
gathered at the shore for the fishermen who had gone to sea. They could sea the
fishermen being hit by the fire and falling into the sea. Ten fishermen died
that day in the Sri Lankan Navy attack. Only three bodies were recovered on
that day and the other seven bodies washed ashore the following day. After this
the fishermen stopped going to the sea. The families were pushed further into
poverty as a result.
92.
Navali church massacre 09.07.1995
Navaly village is in the Jaffna
district. St Peters
church is a famous temple in Navaly. Following the military orders to the people to
take refuge in public places thousands of people left their homes to take
refuge in churches and temples. About 2500 people had thus taken refuge in St
Peters Church.!!
On the 9th July 1995, eight rocket bombs were dropped on Navali church
and its surroundings. The church was crammed with people who had sought refuge
when they realized the army was bombing their area. 155 bodies of civilians
were recovered from the church and its surroundings and 250 people were injured.
There is no doubt that the SLAFs deliberately dropped a bomb at a place where
there was a maximum density of people gathered, and the large crowd of people
would have been noticeable from the air. Vaithiyalingam Kamalanathan lost his
wife on that day. The incident as described by him is as follows:
“That morning, from about 4am we were heard bombing sounds from
the SLA during Operation Leap Forward. People
from Chuliipuram had grabbed all their belongings and started moving along Navali Road. All of
us, small, young, and old were helping and feeding these displaced people at St Peters church with food and drink. We did this all day. Since I did not
go to the temple in the morning – I went at 4:30pm with my son through the
paddy fields. At about 4:35pm we heard a very big bomb blast and saw clouds of
smoke. We immediately knew something had happened at Navali. When I ran back to
my house, the road was filled with fallen trees and buildings. In my house my
wife was bleeding from here [chest]. My daughter was injured in her head and
hand. Blood was running. I ran to the other houses nearby. One of my
neighbour’s families was all lying dead. My elder son’s daughter was injured.
My sister’s husband said that we could do no more for my sister. He said to go
and look after my family. My wife died at the hospital asking me to look after
our children.”
The Parish priest at that time says:
“It was Sunday morning. People were being displaced here as the
Leap Forward Operation was taking place. People of this area welcomed them and
were supplying them with food and drinks. I was at St Andrews church in Manipay
when I heard that people were gathering in St Peters Church,
Navali. So I rushed over here. On my way here, I heard the bombers in the air.
One of the bombers was lowering and, I ran and hid behind a wall. I saw this
people being bombed. I ran here after the bombing and saw that people were
scattered here and there - killed. 9 people were killed at this church. 121
people were killed all together. The church was damaged. People were screaming
and shouting. People who were taking shelter in this area were bombed. People
are still saddened and worried about this. People hope that this situation will
change and that peace will prevail in this country. Tamils and Sinhalese will
remain together in this country as brother and sister.”
93.
Nagarkovil bombing 22.05.1995
Among the historic temples in Jaffna are the Vallipuram temple and the Nagarkovil
temple. Nagarkovil temple is located 8 Kms from the Vallipuram temple. In 1956,
through the efforts of V Naganathan, the Jaffna-Nagarkovil Vidhyalam was started
by the Sri Lankan government.
In 1967 this was upgraded
to Mahavidhyalayam. In 1990, people from the village of Mayiliddy
were forced to displace from their village and around 600 of these families
were living in Nagarkovil. As a result, the Nagarkovil School
of 400 students went to 700 overnight. Following clashes in 1991, people from
Vetrilaikerni, Aliyavalai, and Kaddakadu villages also displaced to Nagarkovil.
After 1993 the student roll at the school went up to 830. On 21.09.1995, the
military shelled several areas in Jaffna
from its Palaly camp. On 22.05.1995, Sri Lankan Air Force bombers dropped bombs
on the Manalkadu church and destroyed it. Three civilians were killed. At 12.45
while the school was in session, 8 rockets were dropped on the school and the
adjacent village.7 students were killed inside their class room. A further 13
students died in the hospital. A further 42 students were seriously injured. As
a result of the attacks on that day 40 civilians including 20 students died.
100 civilians including 42 students were injured.
94.
Chemmani mass graves in 1996
What is the fate of the civilians who disappeared during the six
month period in the middle of 1996? Chemmani area in the Ariyalai village
houses the welcome arch into Jaffna
town four Kms from the town.
Following breakdown of the talks between the LTTE and the
government of Sri Lanka in April 1994, the newly elected President Chandrika
Kumaratunge launched a war which she called the “war for peace” The military
captured the Jaffna town in 1995 and in 1996 the
military captured the entire Jaffna
peninsula. The Riviresa military operation started in the latter part of 1995.
Over a period of two days 450,000 people displaced from the western sector of Jaffna and walked through
Chemmani road, Kopay road to the eastern sectors. The Military then captured
the Jaffna
town. Eventually the military captured most of the Jaffna peninsula. Half the displaced people
went to live in other districts and the rest lived in the military controlled Jaffna peninsula.
While a “war for peace” was being waged, the list of people
arrested and disappeared in Jaffna
kept growing under the military leadership of Major General Janaka Perera. Rape
of women by the military was also increasing. During the six months, following
mid 1996, the number of disappeared reached 700. 600 complaints were lodged at
the Human Rights Commission. An association was formed by the families of the
disappeared. The association has waged demonstrations in several locations
demanding to know the fate of their family members. As the pressure mounted,
President Kumaratunge appointed a Commission of military officials to
investigate the disappearances. In spite of several sittings of this commission
there was no outcome worthy of note from this commission. Following the
disappearance of Krishanthi (see later) and the confession by one of the
convicted soldiers about mass graves in Chemmani where 300 to 400 bodies are
buried, the convicted soldier was taken to the location to identify the mass
graves.
The Chemmani mass graves were dug in front of Judge Ilancheliyan,
Prof Neriyella from Ruhunu
University and several
lawyers including, Kesavan, Ilanko, Paramaraja, and Pon Poologasingam. Several
locations were identified as mass grave locations. When the site was dug for
the first time 11 skeletons were unearthed. They were sent for forensic
investigations and the ages were estimated to be from 16 to 35. Before the
second digging was to begin people were banned from going near the area and
people noticed movement of military vehicles at night in the area. The second
digging two weeks later uncovered another 6 bodies. With this the task was
temporarily halted. To date no further progress has been made on these investigations.
95.
Kilinochchi town massacre 19961998
In 1996, the Sri Lankan military launched the military operation
they code named “Sathjeya-01”. The operation was to move south from its Elephant Pass camp into Kilinochchi. During this
movement it set up a military camp in Paranthan. The military intelligence wing
from this camp would infiltrate into the civilian areas. There they attacked
and killed people in their homes, or displaced people who returned to their homes
to collect some items. In August 1996, the military launched “Sathjeya-02”
military operation. This was followed by “Sathjeya-03” military operation. With
this the military entered Kilinochchi town. Here they created a militarized
zone occupying people’s homes and their farmlands. While camped here the
military carried out numerous attacks on civilians in the surrounding areas.
184 civilians disappeared during this time. Most of them were killed. Later
when people moved back to their homes, skeletons were recovered from toilet
pits and wells. Based on information collected from many sources, 184 civilians
were killed. 72 skeletons of those killed were recovered in Kilinochchi and its
surroundings. 12 skeletons were identified by relatives based on the clothes
and other items they were wearing when they were killed. The families of those
killed are today living in extreme poverty in the villages of Akkarayan,
Mallavi, Jeyapuram and Puthukkidiyiruppu.
96.
Kumarapuram massacre 11.02.1996
Kumarapuram village is situated in the Assistant Government Agent
Division of Mutur in the Trincomalee district. It is located between the
villages of Kiliveddi and Parathipuram. The village is bounded in east by the Allaikulam
water reservoir and in the west by a sport ground and a milk collection centre.
A military camp is just 2 Kms from its north border.
People from all the different ethnic communities lived here
without any disharmony. After the 1995 military activities people in the
village lived in fear. The massacre on 11.02.1996 happened during one of these
military activities.
On 11.02.1996 at 4.00 pm people heard firing noises. The
frightened people ran into the large forest area near the Allaikulam and hid
there. Some people stayed at home. In the home of Alagutharai, eight members of
the family stayed at home. All eight of them were shot dead in their home by
the military. In the inquiry on this massacre the village headman in his
evidence said Rasenthiram Karunaharan was shot dead in front of him as the two
were talking. Another man Nagarasa lost his eyesight as a result of the
shooting. Arumaithurai Thanalaxmi, a 16 year old girl was taking her eight year
old brother on her bicycle. When they heard the shooting she took her brother
and hid in a nearby shop. The military dragged her out and took her to the milk
collection centre and there she was gang raped by the military. One Sri Lankan
soldier, Corporal Kumara, confessed to shooting her dead at the inquiry. When
asked why he shot her he stated that she was badly injured with several bite
marks made by the military men who gang raped her and that she was in such a
bad state that he shot her.26 people were killed in this massacre. 22 were
seriously injured. Many of the injured who died without medical care were
recorded as deaths by natural causes.
97.
Nachchikuda strafing 16.03.1996
The Poonagari area of Kilinochchi district is a historically
important area. This was a centre of ancient kingdoms and commerce. A fishing
village in Poonagari is Nachchikuda.
On 16.03.1996, early morning MI-24 helicopters belonging to the
Sri Lankan military began strafing the Nachchikuda village settlement. People
sleeping at home and fishermen at sea were hit by the shells. 16 people were killed.
Hundreds of fishermen’s huts were burnt out. Following this attack the village
displaced from Nachchikuda.
98.
Thambirai market bombing 17.05.1996
Poonagari is situated in the Kilinochchi district 20 Kms from
Kilinochchi town. This is a historic region. Thambirai is a small village in
the Poonagari area. On 17.05.1996, at 10.00 am, Kfir bombers belonging to the Sri
Lankan Air Force dropped bombs in the market area. People hearing the Kfirs had
taken refuge under Palmarah estate nearby. Two bombs fell in the area. Five
civilians were killed on the spot and two more died in the hospital. Seven
civilians were badly injured.
Francis Reetamma says,
“I live in Thambirai. My
husband who went to the market on that day was killed when Sri Lankan Air Force
bombers dropped bombs on 17.05.1996 and shell pieces went into his chest and
stomach. About 5 people died in this bombing. 8 or 9 people were injured.”
99.
Mallavi bombing 24.07.1996
Mallavi is situated in the Mullaithivu district 15 Kms from the
Mankulam junction. In 1996 a large
number of people from Jaffna
and Kilinochchi were displaced to Mallavi and were living around the Mallavi junction
area. On 24.07.1996, Sri Lankan Air Force Kfir dropped bombs in this area and 9
civilians were killed and 15 more were injured.
100.
Pannankandy massacre 05.07.1997
Pannankandy is a village of about 300 families. It is situated
near the town of Kilinochchi.
The main economic activity in the village is agriculture. The villagers had
displaced from their homes due to Sri Lankan military shelling as it conducted
an operation from their Elephant
Pass military camp. Most
of the displaced from Pannankandy were living in the Vaddakachchi village. They
were very poor and due to poverty they return to their own land in Pannankandy
to collect the produce from their land.
The military that has setup
a camp near Pannankandy would capture the poor villagers and kill them. Hundreds
of people died in this fashion in the Kilinochchi district during this time.
This is recorded in another section titled, “Kilinochchi town massacres”. The
following is the story of what happened to the Pannankandy villagers. The
village headman, Sithamparapillai Rajendram, recited the following as he was
told by Karuppaih Nanthakumar aged 23, “On 5th July 1997, Nanthakumar and
Sukumar went on bicycles to their home in
Pannangkandy at 3rd Vaikal
which was a ‘no man’ region and from which they were displaced at that time.
They went to check their homes and also collect coconuts and other produce from
their land. The SLA caught both of them. The
army tied Nanthakumar to a post and took Sukumar to the village well. Sukumar’s
shirt was removed and his hands were tied to the back with his shirt. He was
then forced to bend over the short barrier wall of the well so that the front
half of his body was hanging into the well and the back half was outside. His
body was then cut and then pushed into the well. Stones were thrown into the
well to stop the body floating up. Nanthakumar, who was watching this, managed
to untie himself and ran away. When Nanthakumar arrived at Tharmapuram where we
met him, he told everyone the story. No one went to check it at that time out
of fear. On the same day the four other men went missing. No one knew about
their fate at that time. In March 2000 following the Sri Lankan army withdrawal
from our village we went back to Pannangkandy to resettle. First only about 10
families went. We cleaned the well mentioned above because we needed to use it
for drinking water and also because we knew about what has happened to Sukumar.
Whence started cleaning the well 6 bodies were recovered. Everyone whose family
member had gone missing came to check whether their relative’s body is among them.
Relatives were able to identify the clothing with which the hands of the skeletons
were tied once the clothing was washed.”
Mrs Pannichelvam Seethalaxmi’s husband skeleton was one of those
found in the well.
“On 5th July 1997, there was a military operation named ‘Sath
Jaya’ carried out by the SLA. Our village was
bombed and shelled. We left our place and lived in Union Tank, Akarayan, and
Skanthapuram as refugees. There were no employment facilities there. We were
very poor. One day my husband together with Kanthasamy Muthulingam and Perumar
Sugumaran went to Pannakandi on 5th July 1997 at 7:30pm to get some things and
pluck some coconut fruit. They did not return back that day. I was surprised. I
went and met another family member and the Rural Development Society president
and also informed the International Red Cross Society in Mallavi. But I did not
get any information from 1997 to 2000.One day, a Father came to my house and
told me that he had some news about some skeletons that were taken by somebody
in the lavatory pit at Pannankandi.Immediately I ran there with the help of the
Tamil Eelam Police. I saw the skeleton. I proved that the skeleton was that of
my husband.”
The sixth body belonged to a young boy wearing blue school shorts.
His identity has not been settled yet. Later we heard that he could be from Udaiyarkaddu,
Kaddaikadu. No one came inquiring about this boy. The remains from the well are
with the Tamil Eelam police.
Note: Appathurai Selvakumar (35) also from Pannangkandy disappeared and
his fate is unknown. His family lives in Pannangkandy
101. Kaithady Krishanthi massacre 07.09.1996
Kaithady is situated in the Jaffna
district. Kaithady village is located 7 Kms from the Jaffna town. Krishanthi’s home was located
just 200 metres from the Kaithady junction. Krishanthi’s parents Kumarasamy and
Rasamma had three children, Prasanthi, Krishanthi and Pranavan. The family worked hard to advancing the
children’s education. Krishanthi’s mother Rasamma was working as the deputy
principal of Kaithady Kumarasamy Vidhyalayam. Krishthani’s father died in 1984,
and thus the mother and the three children were living in the home. The eldest daughter
Prasanthi, after finishing her AL examination
went to Colombo to advance her education as
there were no opportunities for her in Jaffna.
From there she had the opportunity to go overseas. Krishanthi excelled in her
OL examination and was studying for her AL
examination at the Chundukuli Girls' School. Krishanthi’s brother Pranavan was
studying at St Johns
College. In September
1996, Krishanthi’s the AL
examinations were taking place. Krishanthi had already sat one paper. On
07.09.1996, Krishanthi went to a funeral of her close friend Jananthini
Kananathan and was returning home at 1.30 pm. The military at the checkpoint in
the Chemmani open space near the Welcome Arch into Jaffna Town
stopped Krishanthi and was questioning her. She was kept there for 45 minutes. A relative,
Kananathan, who saw this had gone to Krishanthi’s home and warned Krishanthi’s
mother. At 2.30 pm, Krishanthi mother, accompanied by neighbor, Kirubamoorthy
went to the checkpoint. Krishanthi’s brother Pranavan also joined them. The
three arrived at the checkpoint, Krishanthi was not there. When they inquired
at the checkpoint they were told that no one was arrested by them. The three
then went to her school and to her friend’s home looking for Krishanthi. They
were told that Krishanthi had been there and had left. The three then went again
to inquire at the checkpoint and all three went missing. During the middle of
1996 Jaffna was
brought under the Sri Lankan military control and they imposed curfew from
6.00pm to 6.00am. As a result, even though friends and relatives were concerned
that the four people did not return home that night. They were unable to do
anything about it. The next day, 09.09.1996, relatives of Krishanthi’s family,
Arumuganathan and Kodeeswaran, and Kirubamoorthy’s wife Puveneswari went to the
same checkpoint in search of their relatives. They were told that no one was
arrested at that checkpoint. The relatives then lodged complaints at the Jaffna branch of the
Human Rights Commission and at the Jaffna Police Station. The relatives went
once again to the checkpoint task. The relatives were asked to come in the evening.
Fearing that the same fate as their relatives will befall them they did not go
there in the evening. The relatives persisted with their complaints to the Human
Rights Commission and the Police. Due to the efforts of the relatives 45 days
after the four people went missing, the relatives were called by the military
chiefs of the 512 Brigadiers Divisions for an inquiry. Mrs. Arumuganathan,
Puvaneswari and Kodeeswaran went to the inquiry. The six soldiers who were supposedly
involved in the disappearance were called and investigated. Then it was
revealed that none of the four missing people are alive. The soldiers agreed to
show the location of the incident and the graves where the bodies lay buried.
The bodies were buried under a bridge in Nayanmarkaddu road, 100 metres from
the checkpoint where the four people went missing. Postmortem revealed that
Krishnathi was raped before she was murdered. The two families took a court
case about the deaths of their relatives. Following inquiries six soldiers were
arrested and all six confessed to the murders.
One of the six who confessed, Lance Corporal Somaratna Rajapakse,
in addition to giving evidence of the murders of Krishanthi and the other
three, also announced in the courts that he can show mass graves near Chemmani
where 300 to 400 bodies were buried on orders from their superiors. This announcement
revealed that many of those who disappeared in Jaffna are buried in these mass graves. Three
of the accused were given death sentence and the other three were given 20
years imprisonment.
