Lest We Forget

Lest we forget – Massacres of Tamils 1956 ­2002
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
Report by NESOHR,
Information Collected by SNE
83