| Ethinc Clencing Acts by the LTTE |
| The Kent and Dollar Farm massacres |
| According to
Eelamists’ theory of the traditional homeland for Tamils, it
was imperative for LTTE to clear those areas of Sinhalese and Muslims.
LTTE argued that government-sponsored settlements of Sinhalese were
aimed at changing the demographic composition of the area. The Kent
and Dollar Farm massacres were examples of this policy.
The LTTE carried out the massacre on November 30, 1984 in two farming
villages known as the Kent and Dollar Farms in the district of Mullaitivu.
At Dollar Farm, 33 Sinhalese farmers were killed injuring several
others. On the same day, at Kent Farm 29 Sinhalese civilians were
shot dead. LTTE cadres used submachine guns, automatic rifles and
hand grenades to kill the farmers. Survivors reported gruesome tale
of LTTE killing the children by knocking them against walls.
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| Massacre in Kattankudi mosque |
| One of the
brutal massacres that LTTE committed was the massacre in Kattankudi
mosque on August 4, 1990. Around 30 Tamil terrorists raided four
mosques in the predominantly Muslim town of Kattankudi while over
300 Muslims were at Isha prayers.
Prior to the attacks a warning was issued to the citizens of Kattankudi,
demanding that Muslims should immediately vacate the town or face
death. It was a part of the master plan of ethnic cleansing. |
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| Massacre of farmers in Welikanda |
| LTTE terrorists
brutally massacred 12 civilians working at an irrigation canal construction
site in eastern Welikanda area last night. An eyewitness told police
that 15 armed cadres of LTTE - some in striped uniforms and some in
civilian dress tied the construction workers together and fired at
them point blank range killing 12 instantaneously. |
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| Massacre of Mahindapura,
Trincomalee District |
| A group of about
140 bus passengers were indiscriminately fired upon by LTTE terrorists
killing four of them. These passengers, using their one and only bus
service available on the Kantalai - Verugal road, were on their way
to a religious ceremony at Sri Kandaswami Hindu Kovil in Kadiraveli. |
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| Massacre of Pottuvil |
| Eleven Muslim
Civilians were murdered by the LTTE terrorists. Their bodies were
found after they had apparently gone to repair an irrigation system.
Only survivor of the massacre said "On Sunday evening suddenly
a group of Tigers stormed the place where we were. They were armed
with guns, sickles, knives and axes. They abducted us, took us to
the forest, and blindfolded us. After it became dark, they attacked
us with sickles, axes and knives." |
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| Massacre of Herath Halmillewa |
Mr. Premarathna
Perera, an authorized officer of the Sri Lanka Insuarance Corporation,
is aware of fact concerning the raids made by the cruel Tamil Tiger
terrorists on traditional Sinhala villages since 1980. Unarmed innocent
Sinhala villagers being shot and hacked to death in those raids.
In the dawn of 25-10-1995, Tamil terrorists had raided the village
of Herath Halmillewa and shot and hacked to death innocent villagers,
irrespective of their age. When Mr. Premarathna Perera trying to escape
this slaughter by running away, he had been shot below the right knee
and hidden in a jungle thicket. He had been one of those who had escaped
seriously injured. Scares of this injury are still visible.
He stated that 25 villagers who were asleep were slaughtered indiscriminately
and that about 8 people were seriously injured and maimed. Shortly
after this incident, this village becomes desolate after the villagers
left it. After sometime, although some have returned, normalcy has
been totally disrupted in this village.
Later, a similar village called Nikawewa had been similarly attacked
in the same manner. 11 males had been killed, the women chased out
and the village made desolate. Such incidents have taken place in
all the villagers from time to time. The primary objective of these
acts is to drive out the Sinhalese from their homelands and create
eelam. In this way, Tiger terrorists come through the jungles from
Tamil villagers in Vavuniya about 15 to 20 miles away and kill and
abduct unarmed innocent Sinhalese.
After being shot, Mr. Premarathne Perera and his family abandoned
their traditional homelands, are living in the Kebithigollewa for
security reasons. |
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| Land mine blast at Mamaduwa
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Mamaduwa is
one of the last border villages in the Vavuniya district. The distance
between the last Sinhala village and the last Tamil village is less
than a kilometer.
Ms. M. Sriyawathi, a teacher from Kebithigollewa Central College has
described the land mine blast in late 1985 or early 1986. It was planted
near a paddy field between Mamaduwa and Etembagaskada had been exploded.
Around 30 people of both sexes and varying ages had been killed and
a large number wounded.
There was large crater created by the destruction of the Mamaduwa
road. The wounded were taken to Vavuniya and Anuradhapura hospitals
by helicopter, ambulances etc.
Subsequently, a crowd on their way to attend the funeral had been
killed as a time bomb had exploded their vehicle. A few days later,
a crowd of Sinhala farmers working in their fields in a tractor, had
been shot and killed by Tiger terrorists. Including this and several
such incidents. Therefore, a large number of villagers abandoned the
village and migrated to safe areas. |
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| Maha Nikawewa Attack |
Mr. Piyadasa
Herath, area leader of the Sarvodaya and Mr. Manel, the district leader
of the Sarvodaya who had been the first to come to the rescue to Maha
Nikawewa when it had been attacked by the Tiger terrorists.
Mr. Manel came to meet Mr. Herath around 07.00p.m on 22-02-1996. He
said that he heard a ig noice from the Padaviya direction and asked
Mr. Herath to join him to investigate. We came to Hearth Halmillewa
junction and fromthere to Nikawewa. On the way, we saw two people
had been shot to death.
The time was around 10.30p.m and even then, we heard sounds of gunfire
from inside the village. When we proceed, there were two more dead
bodies fallen into a drain. Injured were sent to Padaviya and Anuradhapura
hospitals. At the time, we came to know that a mixed crowd of 16 had
been killed and that there were around 15 injured.
According to information received, while the villagers were preparing
their diner, a large crowd of Tiger terrorists had entered the village
from all 4 sides, killed people, plundered and created havoc.
After this incident, we heard that two groups of Tiger terrorists
had made simultaneous attacks on the villagers of Herath Halmillewa
and Thammennawa. And committed the same heinous acts of murder and
destruction.
About a few days earlier, a claymore mine had been aimed at some home
guards patrolling the village of Sinhaya Ulpotha. The basic aim seems
to be to drive away the villagers, from their traditional Sinhala
villagers. |
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