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Lest We Forget

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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

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