"The LTTE condemns
the brutal slaying innocent Tamil civilians by the Sri
Lankan armed forces on the 12th of June 1991, as a
crime against humanity. massacre took place in the
villages of Kokaddicholai, Mahiladai Teevu and
Muthalai Kuddah in the Batticaloa District. Nearly 450
houses were looted and burnt. Some were burnt alive by
the rampaging armed forces of the Sri Lankan
Government. Many were barbarously clubbed and hacked to
death.
The innocent victims of this murderous
attack included several women and young children.
Several women were raped. These villagers in the
District of Batticaloa were murdered on the 12th of
June for no reason other than that they were Tamils.
Under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment
of the Crime of Genocide, acts of murder committed with
intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national,
ethnical, racial or religious group as such are
considered as acts of genocide. The Sri Lankan armed
forces stand charged with having committed the crime of
genocide on the 12th of June 1991. -
Press Release of the International Secretariat of the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, 16 June 1991
An eye witness
account...
Makiladitivu and Muthalaikuda are two villages
in the Paddipalai A.G.A's divisions in the Batticaloa
district. The inhabitants are all Tamils who are mostly
farmers. These villages are endowed with rich and
fertile soil and in addition have irrigation tanks that
provides them with good water for their fields. They
are peace loving people who take great pride in their
Tamil language and Tamil culture. The Sinhala
government systematically colonised one side of this
area with Sinhalese people in order to change the
pattern of the lives of the Tamils living in this
area.
On 12th June, 1991 at 11.00 a.m., the Sri
Lankan army stationed in the Kokaddichcholai
camp situated in the adjoining village,
entered these two villages, terrorised and assaulted
all the Tamil people, raped the women , including
teachers and students who had taken refuge in the
village school. 17 families who had taken
refuge in the school were shot and killed. In
one incident, a young girl who took protection with an
old lady teacher was dragged by these sex hungry
soldiers and raped in spite of the old lady offering
them instead all the jewellery the girl had. They took
the jewellery and raped the girl as well.
49 people who had taken refuge in a
rice mill at Makiladitivu were burnt alive along with
the rice mill.
About 200 people including old men , women and
children have been admitted to hospitals for treatment
for injuries caused during these assaults. These people
will be refugees in their own land when they leave the
hospitals as all their homes and belongings have been
destroyed. During these assaults 82 Tamils were killed
- many others have disappeared and unaccounted
for.
It may be remembered that on the 28
January,1987, the government Special Task Force created
by the Mosad entered these villages and burnt many
houses along with the belongings. They also terrorised
the villagers who had to take shelter in neighbouring
villages.
(see also University
Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna Branch) - Report No.7
- 8 May 1991)
