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<strong>Lest</strong> we forget – Massacres of Tamils 1956 2002<br />
10.06.1990, Muslim groups with help from the Sri Lankan military attacked the<br />
people of this village. When the people attempted to escape by running away, the<br />
military opened fire at the people. 37 people were killed and many more were<br />
injured.<br />
57. Xavierpuram massacre 07.08.1990<br />
Xavierpuram, Amparai is the<br />
name of the settlement<br />
where the 'Kurawar' tribe<br />
lived from 1950.<br />
On the 7 th of August 1990<br />
the community of Kurawar<br />
were attacked, their homes<br />
burnt and their youths shot<br />
dead. Men and women were<br />
tortured and the church,<br />
school and community hall<br />
were burnt. There was no provocation for such an attack on the Kurawar. Later the<br />
attackers were identified as Muslim home guards. They carried out the attacks<br />
following an allegation that the LTTE had established contact with the Kurawar.<br />
In her sworn statement, Miniakkah describes the attack on Xavierpuram in the<br />
following manner:<br />
“It was about 11o'clock in the forenoon of 7 th August 1990, when some people were<br />
having their first meal for the day while others were preparing it when the attackers<br />
arrived. Along Neethai Road 18 tractors came one behind the other, carrying a<br />
large number people armed with guns, knives, sticks, clubs and axes. They stopped<br />
at the centre of the village, and called out the people - men, women and children- to<br />
assemble before them. The attackers, carrying guns, were in military fatigues. Their<br />
appearance foreboded evil.<br />
The people of Xavierpuram became excited. The men, who were eating stopped<br />
eating, washed their hands and rushed to the place where men with guns stood.<br />
Together with my husband and two children, my son and daughter, I went to the<br />
place where we were asked to assemble. <strong>We</strong> were able to identify the men in<br />
uniform as home guards (Muslims) and the others from the Akkaraipattu area who<br />
had accompanied the home guards.<br />
An eyewitness said:<br />
“While we stood before the Muslim home guards and the hooligans who<br />
accompanied them, they (home guards) seized my only son and began torturing<br />
him. Another seized Jayaraja who was also a youth from my community and<br />
continued torturing both.<br />
Report by NESOHR,<br />
Information Collected by SNE<br />
46