"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)
