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<strong>Lest</strong> we forget – Massacres of Tamils 1956 2002<br />
killed that day. The number of people killed that day in Valvai is 70.<br />
26. Kumuthini Boat massacre 15.05.1985<br />
For the people of Deft Island,<br />
located off the coast of Jaffna, the<br />
boat “Kumuthini” provided an<br />
indispensable service. People had to<br />
travel to Jaffna using the boat<br />
service to obtain many essential<br />
services and items. On the<br />
15.05.1985, about 72 people were<br />
traveling in the boat from Delft<br />
Island to Jaffna. Sri Lankan Navy<br />
(SLN) soldiers from the camp in<br />
another islet, Nainativu,<br />
boarded the Kumuthini<br />
and massacred the people<br />
in the boat with knives.<br />
Many died during the<br />
violence. Some died as<br />
the boat sped to the<br />
Jaffna coast. It was<br />
evening by the time the<br />
Kumuthini reached the<br />
Jaffna coast. Injured<br />
people were admitted to<br />
hospital. The people of<br />
Delft Island heard the fate of their relatives only through the news media.<br />
Kumuthini is today a symbol for all Jaffna islets. She symbolizes the insecurity that<br />
people in the islets feel by the Sri Lankan Navy occupation. Her sight today<br />
reminds people of a lone mother who had lost her children.<br />
(a) Saro Rasaratnam, a survivor, recounts her experience,<br />
“<strong>We</strong> were traveling on Kumuthini boat<br />
for about 30 minutes when we stopped at<br />
mid-sea. Navy men climbed up into the<br />
boat. They took all of us to the front of<br />
the boat while they sat at the entrance.<br />
One of them had a gun. They asked if<br />
there was anyone who knew how to<br />
speak Sinhala and Jesuthasan knew.<br />
They asked us where we were going.<br />
There was a big noise at the back of the<br />
boat. Jesuthasan and the five who worked in the Kumuthini were the first to go<br />
toward the back.<br />
Report by NESOHR,<br />
Information Collected by SNE<br />
19