Amidst renewed SL militarisation, Batticaloa village observes 24th year of massacre

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 May 2011, 12:54 GMT]
The residents of Thoa'ni-thaa'nda-madu, a village situated in Koa'ra'laip-pattu North in Batticaloa district, along the border of Polonnaruwa district, on Friday observed 14th anniversary of massacre of Tamil villagers whom the Sri Lanka Army shot and hacked to death at least 3 women and 8 men with 6 children in the early hours of 27 May 1987 while the victims were asleep. The entire village was burnt together with the bodies of the victims. Last year, following the efforts taken by certain NGOs, around 56 families comprising 102 members had been resettled in the village, according to the Divisional Secretary of the area. However, the SLA has not been willing to hand over the houses it has occupied. Recently, the deployment of the SLA has been further strengthened, threatening the villagers of possible colonisation.

The residents were only allowed to resettle in the village after being photographed the SLA soldiers and registered their details at the SLA camp.

Thoa'ni-thaa'nda-madu village is located ninety km off northwest of Batticaloa district along the border of Polonnaruwa district.

After the initial genocidal massacre, a group of uprooted Tamil villagers had gone back to the village in an attempt to resettle.

However the Sri Lanka Army once again in the year 1990 had attacked the resettled Tamil families. They once again fled from the village and sought refuge elsewhere close to area.

The SLA had set up its camp in the village in seven houses of Tamil families. Other houses of Tamil families were in dilapidated conditions, some without roof, doors and windows, without basic facilities such as drinking water and latrines and could not be used for residential purposes.

Resettled families are still feeling that the presence of the SLA camp is threatening their peaceful existence in the village.