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Suthanthirapuram Massacre

June 10th is a historically important date in the history of Tamils. On this day in 1956, in Amparai, the "home guard" force killed 150 civilians. On this day in 1986, in the Kurunagar Sea in Mandaitivu, Sri Lankan Navy arrested 31 fishermen. On this day in 1998, in Suthanthirapuram in Mullaitivu, the Sri Lankan air force and military using excessive shelling and bombing massacred 25 civilians.

Tamil civilian massacres are a common occurrence whenever major operations by the Sri Lankan forces encounter failures. 25 Tamil civilians were massacred in Suthanthirapuram on 10th June 1998 when the Jeyasikkuru operation started by the Sri Lankan forces in 1997 was encountering defeats. Today is the 7th anniversary of that massacre.

Jeyasikkuru was launched with the blessing of the major Buddhist chapters under the leadership of the modern "Sapumal Kumaraya", Anuruddha Ratwatta. For this operation all three forces were combined and unprecedented amount of resources were poured in with assistance from more than 50 other countries. The operation was the longest in the history of Sri Lanka. Yet, the Jeyasikkuru operation did not reach its goal nor did it succeed. To cover up the defeat, the government targeted the agricultural village of Suthanthirapuram in the Mullaitivu district on this day in 1998. Bomber planes of the Sri Lankan air force started bombing the village at 9.00 a.m. in the morning. Simultaneously, the military that was occupying Vanni area, fired continuous stream of shells from the Puthukkudiyiruppu-Paranthan road thus preventing any rescue operation to evacuate and treat the injured people. 25 civilians were killed and more than 50were injured.

One father from this village, on hearing the bombers, came rushing back to his home from the field where he was working to find the bodies of his three children in pieces scattered on the ground. He could not identify his house. A mango tree in his yard has fallen on the house. He heard a soft cry and he removed the tree branches and picked up his baby. The baby's body was ripped in pieces and the father said he could touch the baby's bones when he picked it up.

It was also on June 10th in 1990 that Eelam War II was launched against the Sri Lankan government announcing the strength of the Tamils to the world. This Eelam War II, is the echo of the massacres of Tamil civilians carried out by the Sri Lankan forces. History of the human race has taught us that peoples' struggles are always in response to extreme human rights violations against them. So it was that the Tamil struggle for freedom began following serious human rights violations committed against the Tamil people by the Sri Lankan government and its quislings. Tamil people's struggle is gaining more and more recognition at the international level. No one can deny that massacres like that in Suthanthirapuram planted the seeds for that struggle.

10 June 2005

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