Tamil families of the disappeared gathered in Mullaitivu and rejected the Sri Lankan government’s offer of death certificates, as they demanded justice for the forcible abductions of their loved ones.

The protestors demanded to know why the Sri Lankan government-run Office of Missing Persons (OMP), was in haste to provide the protesting women with death certificates.

"If the death certificate is the answer to why our children are still missing, then who are the murderers?" they demanded.

They also called out the OMP for trying to suppress their continued protests by offering them a few hundred dollars in compensation and death certificates.

"We want an impartial international investigation to find out where and what happened to our children," they continued. 

The families stood at the Mullaitivu bus stand for hours under the scorching sun to protest the Sri Lankan government's delay in expediting their request. 

Tamil families have been protesting since 2017 continuously across the North-East, demanding justice and answers to the whereabouts of their loved ones. To date, the Sri Lankan government has refused to co-operate with any international accountability mechanisms.

Days after Sri Lanka's Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon, whose appointment was tainted with controversy, has been forced to step away from performing his duties as the Inspector General of Police, following a Supreme Court decision, Sri Lanka continues to function without a sitting IGP, which according to sources poses a security concern as the country prepares to head to polls in September this year. 

Tennakoon was forced to step down temporarily until nine Fundamental Petitions were filed against him and his appointment to the post can be heard. It is learned that the National Police Commission has written to the Attorney General's Department in the absence of an IGP, seeking their advice on making a crucial appointment. Similarly, the Elections Commission has also sought the advice of the President's Secretary that an IGP must be appointed or an acting IGP to coordinate election-related activities. 

Speaking in parliament recently, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardana said that Tennakoon deserves to remain in office as there are no legal provisions for President Wickremesinghe to make an acting appointment. He also asked the speaker to intervene to invalidate the order issued by the courts. 

Opposition legislator Rauff Hakeem who spoke up in parliament said that various interpretations were being given at different times. He called on the speaker not to be part of it, and lead the country into to a ‘dangerous confrontation’ with the judiciary. Sensing the quagmire this posed, Wickremesinghe has distanced himself from the whole issue, adding that he has been advised by his legal team that appointing an Acting IGP every two weeks could lead to election petitions against him. 

Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) has filed a case in the Supreme Court calling for action against the procedural violations and abuse of public trust by officials in the procurement of VFS, an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system for the issuance of visas for tourists visiting Sri Lanka.

TISL says the matter was filed in the public interest, considering the lack of transparency and non-adherence to guidelines in the decision-making and procurement processes that impact the tourism industry, the national economy, and national security. The Petition argues that the fundamental rights of the citizens to equality and the right to information, as guaranteed under the Constitution under Articles 12(1) and 14A, have been violated through the actions and inactions of the respondents. 

The VFS deal came under fire after a Sri Lankan traveler and his partner were refused a visa to enter Sri Lanka. A video posted of the couple venting their anger at immigration officials led to furor as to why the ETA was outsourced to a foreign company when it had been handled by Sri Lanka's Telecom for many years. Subsequent reporting and investigations found that Sri Lanka's Public Security Minister Tiran Alles had proposed the deal sans cabinet approval and standard operating procedures in selecting the vendor.

An India-out campaign was also staged outside the Immigration and Emigration Department in Colombo last month, as anti-Indian sentiment flared in the wake of controversy over VFS Global. The Indian High Commission in Colombo was forced to deny any Indian involvement in issuing visas in Sri Lanka after a viral video alleged an Indian company had taken over the processing of visas at Colombo’s international airport. Sri Lanka opposition legislator Harsha de Silva questioned the 200 million dollar investment claim made by VFS. “Can this be real?” de Silva asked in an x.com. "IVS-GBS Global to invest USD 200 million (tech for website and cameras?) as per Cabinet Memo justifying outsource at USD 18.50+/visa. “Where did this investment go? He also questioned whether VFS Global was added later to the consortium. Harsha de Silva said the COPF report has found that VFS Global had been picked without calling for official bids and had resulted in the Department of Immigration and Emigration losing out on receiving competitive rates for visa issuance. 

Among the respondents named in TISL's case are the Minister of Public Security, the Controller General of Immigration, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, GBS Technology Services & IVS Global- FZCO, VFS VF Worldwide Holdings LTD, the Cabinet of Sri Lanka and the Attorney General.

The petition lists several key issues that have led to the current concerns:

1. The improper and irregular selection of private entities as authorized representatives for issuing visas.
2. Entering into agreements with private parties in a manner that could lead to severe financial losses and damage to the tourism sector.
3. An incident at the Bandaranaike International Airport in May 2024 highlighted the problematic appointment of private entities for visa processing.
4. The existing partnership with Mobitel (Pvt) Limited from 2012 ran smoothly without an occurrence of major breakdowns, negative publicity, data breaches or other complaints.
5. Mobitel (Pvt) Limited tendering proposals for the improvement of the ETA system in August 2023 with no cost to the government.
6. Mobitel (Pvt) Limited tendering a proposal to provide the ETA platform services for USD 1 per application, in stark contrast to the USD 18.50 charged by GBS Technology Services & IVS Global- FZCO and VFS VF Worldwide Holdings LTD.

The petition calls for the respondents to be held accountable for their illegal, arbitrary, and unreasonable acts or omissions in the procurement process.

An event was held in Vavuniya this week to commemorate Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP) leader and Tamil Eelam supporter Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne, who passed away recently.

A portrait of Dr Karunaratne was decorated with garlands while Tamils lit candles and offered their condolences. The event in Vavuniya was organised by a group of civil society organisations.

In 2021, Dr Karunaratne, in a statement, called for the international recognition of the “ongoing” genocide of Tamils and the recognition of Eelam as a state.  “A systematic referendum is needed to recognize Tamil Eelam internationally,” Dr. Karunaratne stated. “The Western world has propagated the name of terrorism to suppress the Tamil voice calling for a separate state,” he added. 

Former JVP MP Ramalingam Chandrasekar, a member of the Marxist National People's Power (NPP) urged Tamils to bear in mind it was Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government that was the main architect of the anti-Tamil Black July pogrom in 1983. 

“Ranil has been the Prime Minister five times yet he has not done anything for this country in 47 years of his political career,”  Chandrasekar told reporters in Jaffna.

“Let’s not forget that during one of these times when Ranil was in power, his government engineered the anti-Tamil pogrom which saw the senseless massacre of tens of thousands of Tamils.” 

Chandrasekar told reporters that when the riots took place in Colombo and across the country, a United National Party was in power, the same party that Wickremesinghe today leads. Wickremesinghe was a minister at the time.

“July is an unforgettable month for Tamils, it was the government led then by JR Jayawardena, Premadasa and Ranil Wickremesinghe to coordinate this pogrom. They abused power to the point of erasing communities and families through this massacre. Even Tamil prisoners were not spared. They were stabbed while their eyes were gouged out. We were not safe behind bars and we were not safe anywhere in this country. That is what Wickremesinghe created.” 

The former parliamentarian went on to say that Wickremesinghe was trying to stay in power so as to safeguard the Rajapaksa clan who “looted money from the country”, plunging it into an economic crisis.

“His objective is to ensure that the Rajapaksa’s are covered up and safe,” Chandrasekar said, adding that no one wishes to talk about his loyalties to the Rajapaksa.

He went on to state that Wickremesinghe was only appointed to serve the remainder of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s term but is trying to hang on to power.

“Wickremesinghe is trying to commit treason by taking the country on the path that he is on. Sri Lanka is indebted and will have to repay the hefty loans with interest when our time is up.”

His remarks come ahead of Sri Lanka’s presidential polls which are set to take place in September.

Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne announced that the government plans to revive the Rakna Arakashaka Lanka, a government-owned security agency that has come under criticism for its fraudulent activities.

Rakna Arakshaka Lanka or Rakna Lanka was last investigated for maintaining a floating armoury off Sri Lanka's coast. The floating armoury was a byproduct of a partnership between Avant Garde and Rakna Lanka, which provided arms and ammunition to ships. Rakna Lanka was investigated by officers from the Attorney General's Department to examine the legality of the operation and whether the Government of Sri Lanka had the legal right to transfer weapons in its possession to a private security company. That too without the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers and any calls for international tenders thereafter. Rakna Lanka was created by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The company is registered with the registrar of companies and is not answerable to parliament.  Gunaratne plans to use the agency to deploy 550 sea marshals to the Red Sea.

Furthermore, the Bribery Commission filed a case against the Chairman of Avant-Garde Maritime Services and the former Chairman of Rakna Arakshaka Lanka General Palitha Fernando, for soliciting and accepting a bribe of Rs 35.5 million to maintain a floating armoury at the Galle Fort during the regime of the former government. The presidential commission of inquiry to investigate large-scale corruption, fraud, and abuse of power named former Navy Chiefs, Admiral (Retd) Jayanath Colombage and Admiral Jayantha Perera, former Additional Secretary of the Defence Ministry Sujatha Jayaratne and Avant-Garde Chairman Nissanka Senadhipathi as respondents in this case. 

The Presidential Commission noted that this fraud has caused a loss of Rs. 124. 9 million to the Sri Lanka Navy and a total of Rs. 11.4 Billion to the State as revealed during the investigations.  According to the report submitted to President Maithripala Sirisena by the commission, it has concluded that Gotabaya Rajapaksa and 12 others had committed the offense of corruption, conspiracy to commit corruption, and other offenses under Section 70. Of the Bribery Act. Despite these findings, Gotabaya Rajapaksa became president a few years later, while those implicated were given positions of power within his government. 

Now, the present Defence Secretary has announced since Rakna Lanka has provided re-employment opportunities to over 3,000 soldiers retiring from Sri Lanka's military service, it has begun recruitment for 550 sea marshals who would be deployed to the Red Sea.

Tamil families of the disappeared gathered in Vavuniya today as they continue to search for their  relatives who have been forcibly disappeared by Sri Lanka's security forces. 

The families protested outside the Vavuniya bus stand to demand an impartial and international investigation into the disappearances. The families held placards and chanted slogans demanding justice and accountability for their loved ones.

Successive Sri Lankan governments have created various commissions of inquiries to "investigate" the disappearances but only a few of their reports have been made public. Tamil families of the disappeared lack confidence in domestic mechanisms as they have not brought about any meaningful answers or any criminal accountability. 

The families have continued their protests since 2017 even though they face surveillance and harassment by the state. Earlier this week, Sri Lanka's Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) summoned the leader of the Families of the disappeared in Batticaloa for questioning. 

Despite the continued intimidation, the Tamil families of the disappeared have been defiant in their protests and in their demands. 

Tamil Families of the Disappeared staged a protest in Mannar rejecting payments from the Sri Lankan government-run Office of Missing Persons (OMP), stating that the lives of their children were worth more than the US$660 on offer.

The women who were protesting said that the OMP had assured them a sum of Rs. 200,000 as a form of reparation, as they continued to demand justice for their abducted loved ones. Tamil families have been protesting since at least 2017, continuously sat on the roadsides of the North-East, demanding the government reveal what happened to their family members.

Tamil Families of the Disappeared staged a protest in Mannar rejecting payments from the Sri Lankan government-run Office of Missing Persons (OMP), stating that the lives of their children were worth more than the US$660 on offer.

The women who were protesting said that the OMP had assured them a sum of Rs. 200,000 as a form of reparation, as they continued to demand justice for their abducted loved ones. Tamil families have been protesting since at least 2017, continuously sat on the roadsides of the North-East, demanding the government reveal what happened to their family members.

"Even though an office has been set up to locate the missing or at least the truth, they have not done so,” said one protestor. “Instead they are coming to give us compensation so they can force us to stay home.”

“Our children's live are worth more than Rs. 200,000. If the government can return our children, we can give this government triple the money back.”

The families chanted slogans calling on the government to reveal the whereabouts of their loved ones, and called for formal international involvement.

Manuwal Udayachandra, President of the Association for the Mannar District said that they will continue to protest every month until the government and international community take notice.

“No one seems to be looking at us,” she said. “But we will keep fighting with the hope that one day we may receive justice. The mothers who are engaged in this struggle are also sick and dying but they continue to turn up and fight nonetheless.” 

Ahead of Sri Lanka’s election, on 21^st September, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, has resigned from his post as Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister in order to run for the presidency. 

The controversial former justice minister has previously has previously advocated for the rape of lesbians to “cure” them and had lashed out against the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter terrorism, Ben Emmerson.

"He can't dictate like this, we can't make laws immediately. They have to go through parliament” Rajapakshe told Reuters. This was in response to a Emmerson’s damning assessment of human rihs on the island and the failure to repeal Sri Lanka’s draconian Prevention against Terrorism Act (PTA). Emmerson further noted:

"The Government has thus far done almost nothing to hold to account those members of the armed forces and security services who committed gross human rights violations during and since the conflict."

To replace the PTA, Rajapakshe has pushed for the Anti-Terrorism Act which the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) has heavily criticised. The OHCHR has stated that the proposed legislation “includes an overly broad definition of terrorism and grants wide powers to the police - and to the military - to stop, question and search, and to arrest and detain people, with inadequate judicial oversight”.

The former justice minister has previously lashed out against the Tamil diaspora for the successful passage of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution 51/L1. Instead, he has pushed for yet another domestic mechanism, known as the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation.

Tamils have consistently rejected these domestic mechanisms as they have not produced tangible results. In October 2022, Tamil families of the disappeared launched a protest in Jaffna against a visit by the Justice Minister emphasising their rejection of the Office of Missing Persons which has failed to produce any tangible results since the office was established in 2017.

Tamil Families of the Disappeared staged a protest in Mannar rejecting payments from the Sri Lankan government-run Office of Missing Persons (OMP), stating that the lives of their children were worth more than the US$660 on offer.

The women who were protesting said that the OMP had assured them a sum of Rs. 200,000 as a form of reparation, as they continued to demand justice for their abducted loved ones. Tamil families have been protesting since at least 2017, continuously sat on the roadsides of the North-East, demanding the government reveal what happened to their family members.

Tamil Families of the Disappeared staged a protest in Mannar rejecting payments from the Sri Lankan government-run Office of Missing Persons (OMP), stating that the lives of their children were worth more than the US$660 on offer.

The women who were protesting said that the OMP had assured them a sum of Rs. 200,000 as a form of reparation, as they continued to demand justice for their abducted loved ones. Tamil families have been protesting since at least 2017, continuously sat on the roadsides of the North-East, demanding the government reveal what happened to their family members.

"Even though an office has been set up to locate the missing or at least the truth, they have not done so,” said one protestor. “Instead they are coming to give us compensation so they can force us to stay home.”

“Our children's live are worth more than Rs. 200,000. If the government can return our children, we can give this government triple the money back.”

The families chanted slogans calling on the government to reveal the whereabouts of their loved ones, and called for formal international involvement.

Manuwal Udayachandra, President of the Association for the Mannar District said that they will continue to protest every month until the government and international community take notice.

“No one seems to be looking at us,” she said. “But we will keep fighting with the hope that one day we may receive justice. The mothers who are engaged in this struggle are also sick and dying but they continue to turn up and fight nonetheless.” 

Tensions ensued when residents of Illankulam in Kuchchaveli found that a section of their land had been cleared of trees with a chainsaw, that seemed to have been hastily left behind.

The residents who comprise of both Tamils and Muslims had lodged a complaint at the Kuchchaveli police over the unlawful trespassing on their farming lands and clearing of trees in the fields.

The villagers say that Sinhala Buddhists monks in the area were keen on occupying the land they were responsible for the damage caused. The residents have also written to the Presidential Secretariat over the incident.

The residents say they have been living in Illankulam since 1990 and were displaced due to the war.

However, since the area lacks basic facilities they have been forced to live elsewhere with their families.

The latest efforts come as Sinhala Buddhist monks, backed by the Sri Lankan government and military, continue to engage in land grab attempts and the construction of Buddhist sites across the Tamil North-East.

The European Union (EU) has extended its ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for an additional six months, despite calls for it to be lifted.

This decision, made by the Council of the EU on 26 July 2024, is part of the ongoing measures under the Common Position 2001/931/CFSP. The renewal means that the LTTE, along with other listed persons, groups and entities, will continue to face financial sanctions. These sanctions include the freezing of funds and other financial assets or economic resources in EU member states. Moreover, EU entities are prohibited from providing funds and economic resources to the proscribed organizations.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs M.U.M Ali Sabry, took to X (formerly Twitter), to share a statement from the ministry. 

pic.twitter.com/64Px3DImsB

— M U M Ali Sabry (@alisabrypc) July 27, 2024

The Ministry acknowledged the EU's decision, adding that this includes “renewed the list of persons, groups and entities set out by the Common Position 2001/931/CFSP with the view to combatting terrorism, and the LTTE continues to be banned in the EU for a further period of six months." 

The LTTE remains listed in several countries around the world, despite having been militarily defeated in 2009. Efforts have been made in the Europe, including in Britain, to de-list the group in recent years.

In October 2020, a British commission ruled that the decision to ban on the LTTE was "flawed", and though the UK subsequently continued to maintain its ban the moved raised questions from British Tamils across the country.

Recalling his experience of the July riots, Tamil Lawmaker M.A Sumanthiran speaking at a media briefing in Jaffna this weekend says that calling the North-East as the Tamil Homeland is justified, adding that this is the only place where Tamils can feel safe. 

“In 1977 when the riots broke out, the government at the time said they could not keep Tamils in the capital and sent Tamils on a plane for free,” he said. “I was one of the first to arrive aboard a ship from Colombo. We didn't have a meal for three days and those days saw the worst violence in Colombo.” 

He said that the government sent Tamils to Jaffna by plane and ship, because the government accept that Tamils would be safe in their own lands. “I have said this in many places, even to Sinhalese in the South,” he said. “Some don't understand when we say homeland. So I am giving an example. This is my homeland and the government accept that I will be safe so it sent me to my homeland.” 

He added that in both situations, the Sri Lankan government accepted the fact that Tamils should be sent back to the North-East because of the sense of security it afforded. He added that Tamils should strive to establish a structure that can govern them in their own territories. The parliamentarian went on to speak about the economic woes of Sri Lanka adding that the country has become bankrupt and the economy has been ruined. “They’ve destroyed the rural economies and so many talented individuals have left the country to live abroad. It is because of these violence that took place during the three decade armed conflict that all these expenses were incurred.” 

Several events were held across the North-East this week to mark 41 years since the Welikada massacre, in which 53 Tamil political prisoners were murdered by Sinhala inmates and prison guards.

The massacre took place during the Black July pogrom of 1983.

Mannar

The head of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Movement (TELO) Selvam Adaikalanathan while attending a memorial for the Tamils who were massacred in the Welikada massacre said that there elements in the South of Sri Lanka who were planning and staging events aimed at erasing the history of Eelam Tamils

“We should not lose our people and our land due to our lack of unity,” he said speaking at an event held in Mannar to mark a commemoration of the Welikada Massacre. The event was held at the TELO office where several Tamils gathered to pay their respects and honor them. “Even though TELO lost its members who propelled the movement, we are now working with five other parties so that we can remain united for the cause of the Tamil aspiration.” 

He appealed for all members and Tamil political parties to unite so they can avert the ethnic cleansing and the ruination of the Tamil homeland by forces from Sri Lanka’s South. 

Jaffna

A memorial was held at the Father Chelva Hall in Jaffna this week to commemorate the 41st annivesary of the massacre.

The event was organized by the Democratic Tamil National Alliance to remember the lives of 53 Tamil prisoners who were massacared within the Welikada jail. Relatives of those who were killed led the memorial lighting candles and laying floral wreaths. Several members of the DTNA including Dharmalingam Siddarthan, Suresh Premachandran and N. Srikanth were present during the event. 

Vavuniya

A similar trubute was held in Vavuniya. At the event, Nadarajah Thangavelu, alias Thangathurai, the co-founding leaders of TLO (Tamil Liberation Organisation) was honored along with Commander Guttimani and combatant Jagan. The event was led by Vavuniya district organizer of TELO, while several members took part in the event. 

Colombo

Marking the commemoration, Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) MP Selvarajah Kajendran met with Tamil political prisoners who are still behind bars at the Welikada Prison in Colombo.

Speaking to reporters he said that these prisoners have been behind bars for over 29 years. "It has been 41 years since the Welikada Massacre, which took place at this very prison. Today we came to prisoners who are yearning to be released and we call on the government to secure their release. They have called on Tamils at home and around the world to help secure their release." 

வெலிக்கடைச்சிறை படுகொலையின் 41 வருடம்.
இன்று மகசீன் சிறைச்சாலைக்குச் சென்று தமிழ் அரசியல் கைதிகள் சிலரைச் சந்தித்தோம்.
15 - 29 வருடங்களாக சிறையில் அணுவணுவாகச் செத்துக்கொண்டிருக்கிறார்கள்.
11 கைதிகளதும் விடுதலைக்காக தமிழ் மக்கள் தீவிரமாக குரல் கொடுக்க வேண்டும். pic.twitter.com/EbcXv7hgig

— Selvarajah Kajendren MP (@skajendren) July 23, 2024

The massacre

^{Tamil political prisoners: Dr S Rajasunderam, Selvarajah Yogandram and Nadarajah Thangathurai}

On the 25th July 1983 Sellarasa “Kuttimani” Yogachandiran, leader of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) and Ganeshanathan Jeganathan, a political writer, had their eyes gouged out in mockery before being killed by Sinhalese inmates at the high security Welikada prison in Colombo. 

A total of 37 Tamil prisoners were murdered the same day, and 18 more were killed two days later.

In 1976, Kuttimani’s name appeared on the list of 47 Tamil prisoners held without trial under Emergency Regulations. Martin Ennals of Amnesty International had constructed the Report of Amnesty International Mission (Jan 1975), indicating that Kuttimani was a “prisoner whose case is under investigation by Amnesty International”. The report further discloses that Kuttimani was kept in Welikada and was arrested in August 1975. He was released in 1977.

On March 21st, 1981, Neervely’s Bank robbery of 8 million Sri Lankan rupees led the Sri Lankan police officials to accuse Kuttimani as the orchestrator. He was arrested on April 5, 1981, along with Thangathurai and Selvadurai Sivasubramaniam alias, Devan, while bidding to escape in a boat to Tamil Nadu. The following year, in August, Kuttimani and Jegan were served a death sentence by the Colombo High Court, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

Ganeshanathan Jeganathan, nicknamed Jegan was a political writer and an early member of TELO. He hailed from Thondaimanaru. The abrupt death of TULF’s Vaddukoddai MP T. Thirunavukkarasu in 1982, allowed an open seat for Kuttimani. The then-leader of TULF, A. Amirthalingam informed the Elections Commissioner of his decision to nominate Kuttimani as the new MP of Vaddukoddai. But then Prisons Commissioner Priya Delgoda announced on 16 October 1982 that Kuttimani would not be released from prison to take his oaths at the parliament, legally disqualifying him from membership.

On November 2nd, 1981, the trials of Kuttimani, Thangathurai, and Devan began under the Sri Lanka Prevention of Terrorism Act. The outcome of the trial was a death sentence. Famously, Kuttimani stated:

“I request that I should be hanged in Tamil Eelam… I request that my eyes be donated to some blind person so that Kuttimani will be able to see through those eyes the reality of Tamil Eelam”.

Whilst their trials were still pending, Kuttimani and Thangathurai were brutally murdered in Welikada Maximum Security Prison.

Kuttimani’s tormentors “gouged out” his eyes - an allusion to the request that he had made. According to Amnesty International, the Sinhala prisoners were offered alcohol and permitted to attack the Tamil prisoners.

See an extract from The Guardian, on 5^th August 1983, below:

'It is the massacres in the Welikade gaol which are attracting the most attention. There is a particular interest in circumstances in which two alleged guerrilla leaders were killed.

The two men, Sellarasa “Kuttimani” Yogachandiran, leader of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) and a political writer, and Ganeshanathan Jeganathan had been sentenced to death last year for the murder of a policeman.

In speeches from the dock, the two men had announced that they would donate their eyes in the hope that they would be grafted on to Tamils who would see the birth of Eelam, the independent state they were fighting for.

Second hand reports from Batticaloa gaol, where the survivors of the Welikada massacre are now being kept, say that the two men were forced to kneel and their eyes gouged out with iron bars before they were killed.

One version has it that Kuttimani’s tongue was cut out by an attacker who drank the blood and cried: “I have drunk the blood of a Tiger.”

The two men were among the 35 Tamils killed in the Welikada gaol on July 25. Another 17 were killed in the gaol two days later and the Guardian has obtained a first hand account of part of the fighting in this incident, including the circumstances in which Sri Lanka’s Gandhian leader, Dr. Rajasunderam, died.

Dr. Rajasunderam was one of nine men, including two Catholic priests and a Methodist minister, who were moved out of their cells immediately after the July 25 killings—to make way for survivors moved into their cells on security grounds—into a padlocked hall, upstairs in the same block.

The nine, convinced that further attacks were coming, made repeated representations to the prison authorities on July 26 for better security measures. Assurances were given that they would be protected, but nothing was done.

At 2:30 pm in July 27, hearing screaming and whistling outside, one of the priests looked out of a high window and saw prisoners breaking in from a neighboring compound, wielding axes, iron bars, pieces of firewood, and sticks. There was no sign of the prison guards.

The mob, which was later found to have killed 16 prisoners in the downstairs cells, ran up to the hall and began breaking the padlock. Dr. Rajasunderam then went to the door and cried out: “Why are you trying to kill us? What have we done to you?” At that moment, the door burst open and Dr. Rajasunderam was hit on the side of the neck by a length of iron. Blood was seen to spurt several feet.

“At that juncture, we thought we should defend ourselves,” one of the prisoners related. “We broke the two tables in the hall and took the legs to defend ourselves.” “We kept them at bay. They threw bricks at us. We threw them back. Pieces of firewood and an iron bar were thrown at us. We used them to defend ourselves. It went on for about half an hour. They shouted: ‘You are the priests, we must kill you.’”

The killing was eventually ended by the army, who moved in with teargas. An inquest has been opened into the Welikada massacres, but the above details did not emerge. Prison warders claim that keys to the cells were stolen from them.

Lawyers for the prisoners who have accused the warders of having participated, claim that they were not given the opportunity to bring evidence despite representation to the Government.'

The International Commission of Jurists commented:

"It is not clear how it was possible for the killings to take place without the connivance of prison officials, and how the assassinations could have been repeated after an interval of two days, since Welikade prison is a high security prison and the Tamil prisoners were kept in separate cells..."

Along with Kuttimani and Thangathurai, the Tamil prisoners who were massacred in Welikada on 25th July 1983 were:

Nadesathasan, Jegan, Alias Sivarasa, Sivan Anpalagan, A. Balasubramaniam, Surash Kumar, Arunthavarajah, Thanapalasingham, Arafat, Anpalagan Sunduran, P. Mahendran, Ramalingam Balachandran, K. Thillainathan, K. Thavarajasingham, S. Subramaniam, Mylvaganam Sinnaiah, G. Mylvaganam, Ch. Sivanantharajah, T. Kandiah, S. Sathiyaseelan, Kathiravelpillai, Easvaranathan, K. Nagarajah, Gunapalan Ganeshalingam, S. Kularajasekaram, K. Krishnakumar, K. Uthaya Kumar, R. Yoganathan, S. Sivakumar, A. Uthayakumar, A. Rajan, G. Amirthalingam, S. Balachandran, V. Chandrakumar, Yogachandran Killi, Sittampalam Chandrakulam and Master Navaratnam Sivapatham