Lest We Forget

Lest we forget – Massacres of Tamils 1956 ­2002
On 28.02.1991, as the families
were having breakfast in the
morning before leaving for work
the fields, Sri Lankan Air Force
bombers dropped three bombs.
One of the bombs fell on the
hostel and exploded. 9 people
were killed.
hostel left the place and went elsewhere.
The relatives of those killed,
unwilling to continue to stay in the
Rasaih Paramasundaram says,
“On 28.02.1991, we were having breakfast at the Pannai hostel when Sri Lankan
Air Force bombers dropped three bombs. One fell on the hostel. Nine people died,
three were injured. 26 goats also died. We buried the goats and bodies of those
killed in one hole. They were all in pieces”.
76. Vantharumoolai ­ 09.06.1991
On 09.06.1990, Sri Lankan military
from the Mavadivembu and
Vantharumulai military camps
surrounded the area. The military cut
to death four people standing at the 1 st
Cross Street. This was followed by
shooting dead six civilians in
Karuvankerni. In total 10 civilians
were killed on that day.
77. Kokkadichcholai­91 massacre ­ 12.06.1991
On 12 th June 1991, the people of
Kokkadichcholai suffered through
a second massacre at the hands of
the Sri Lankan Army. The military
entered a rice grinding mill and
burnt the mill together with the 17
workers. 400 houses were damaged
that day. More than 220 people
were killed. Their bodies were
burnt by the military using tires. 81
year old Karuvalthamby Ayilpodi was in the rice mill, the day of the massacre. Her
account is as follows:
“I could hear blasts everywhere. I told my two sons, that we should run in the
direction of the crowd. As I said this, the Army had reached Patha Kullakattal,
Report by NESOHR,
Information Collected by SNE
64