Kalmunai massacre

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The Kalmunai massacre refers to two series of mass killing that occurred on June, 1990 in Kalmunai, a municipality within the Ampara District of Sri Lanka's Eastern Province. The first massacre was the mass killing of 113 [1] Police officers by the LTTE.[2] The second massacre was the mass killing of civilians allegedly by the Sri Lankan Army. The University Teachers for Human Rights, a human rights organization, put the number of dead at the second massacre at 250, while a local Member of Parliament claimed that at least 160 people were killed. [3][4][5][6]

Contents

[edit] Police massacre

As the peace talks between the LTTE and the government began to fail the LTTE demanded the surrender of police stations in the East of Sri Lanka on 10th June 1990. The LTTE surrounded police stations in Batticaloa, Vellaveli, Kalmunai, Valachenai, Kalawnchikudi, Samanthurai, Eravur and Akkarapattu. By the end of the day most of the police stations surrendered to the LTTE.[1] The number of surrendered police was said be in the hundreds. The prisoners were taken to the Vinayagapuram and Trincomalee.[7] Once they arrived at the two towns the LTTE cadres lined up the officers and shot them dead. In all, 113 police officers died.[1][8]

[edit] Civilian massacre

After the LTTE massacred the Police officers on June 11, 1990, the town of Kalmunai was allegedly subjected to intense shelling by the Army. As a result, the LTTE had to withdraw from the town. Subsequently, the massacre began on June 20, 1990.[4]. An account of one part of the alleged massacre claimed that Sri Lankan Army personnel took position at Kalmunai Rest House junction where Tamil civilians were allegedly kidnapped. The abducted were then allegedly burned behind the shops of Muslim businessmen. While the death toll is disputed, a member of Sri Lanka's parliament alleged that more than 160 people were killed.[3] However, the UTHR alleged that the number of people who died or disappeared was in excess 1000 and alleged that over 250 were killed.[4][5] It further alleged that this massacre was the "largest bout of slaughter a single town in the island had witnessed in such a short time".[6]

[edit] Later attacks

On June 27, 1990, 75 people were allegedly rounded by the Sri Lankan Army and later burned and a further 27 headless bodies washed ashore Kalmunai beach. In all, the UTHR allege that 7000 people were killed in June.[5]

[edit] See also

[edit] Reference

  1. ^ a b c Human rights and The Issues of War and Peace. UTHR. UTHR (2001). Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
  2. ^ Sri Lanka: The Northeast: Human rights violations in a context of armed conflict
  3. ^ a b SRI LANKA: THE UNTOLD STORY. Asia Times. Asia Times (2001). Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
  4. ^ a b c CHAPTER 2. UTHR. UTHR (2001). Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
  5. ^ a b c THE EAST : LOOKING BACK. UTHR. UTHR (2001). Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
  6. ^ a b Human rights and The Issues of War and Peace. UTHR. UTHR (2001). Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
  7. ^ JUNE: THE WAR BEGINS. UTHR. UTHR (2001). Retrieved on 2007-11-07.
  8. ^ Sri Lanka: The Northeast: Human rights violations in a context of armed conflict

[edit] Further reading