Kumuzhamunai Massacre

Kumulamunai is in the Mullaithivu district. Farming and rearing livestock are the main occupation of the village. During the 1984, it was common for the Sri Lankan military to round up the Kumulamunai village and arrest people and torment them. On 01.10.1984, the village was rounded up by the Sri Lankan military and two people from the same family were arrested. Following this on 29.11.1984 several more villagers were arrested. Military released most of the people it had arrested except the four brothers of the two people arrested earlier and another person from Kumulamunai named Mohan. The families of these men persisted in seeking the release of the men. The military promised to release them after inquiry. On 01.12.1984, the military told the families that they have shot dead all seven men. Six of the seven men shot dead are brothers. Six of the men were married.

Available names of victims (name, age):
1. Ponnampalam Namasivayam, 51
2. Ponnampalam Ananthan, 53
3. Ponnampalam Kenkatharan, 45
4. Ponnampalam Ponrasa, 43
5. Ponnampalam Santhiralinkam, 49
6. Ponnampalam Vivekanantham, 47
7. Mokanathash, 32

Cheddikulam Massacre

Cheddikulam is a border village in the Vavuniya district and is located 20 Kms from the Vavuniya town along the Vavuniya-Mannar Road. Farmers, business people, labourers and government employees live in this area.

On 02.12.1984, the Sri Lankan military imposed curfew throughout Cheddikulam. The military began cordoning off the Cheddikulam area at 5.30am in the morning. Most of the people in the village were still asleep. The military that came into the village took the males for inquiries. 52 men were taken in the military vehicles to the adjacent town of Mathawachchi. There has been no information about these 52 men since. The people of the Cheddikulam village are saying that the 52 men were taken to a Sinhala village in Mathawachchi, and there they were chopped up with sharp knives and heavy vehicles were run over them. As a result, the Cheddikulam villagers say all 52 men died.

T Yesuthasan, teacher at Cheddikulam Mahavidhyalayam says:

“Following the incident people displaced to Vanni, Madhu and India. Among the 52 people killed were my younger brother, my brother-in-law and two more people living with us.”

Mayilvahanam of Cheddikulam says:

“On that day many of us ran into the forest and hid. My home was completely destroyed by the Sri Lankan army.”

Names of the Victims:
1. Mylvaganam Vaithilingam
2. Kumar Varatharasa
3. Paramalingam Paramanathan
4. Appapillai Vettrivelpillai
5. Oorkanasamy Jothi
6. Kandiah Gengaratnam
7. Sangarapillai Selventhiran
8. Sangarapillai Nagulenthiran
9. Sangarapillai Balenthiran
10. Kulasegarampillai Eugene
11. Pandian Periyarasu
12. Chithravadivel
13. Philippaiya Arudpragasam
14. Ramasamy Ponnuthurai
15. Iyampillai Paramanathan
16. Senathirasa Nathan
17. Muthusamy Konarkopal
18. Murugesu Sangarappillai
19. Ramasamy Sithamparapillai
20. Alvin Robinson
21. Alvin Anthony Stevenson
22. Alvin Alexander
23. Alvin Anton
24. Ponnuthurai Christhuraja
25. Ponnuthurai Thananayagam
26. Philippupillai Anthonipillai
27. Sounthararasan Pusparasa
28. Sellaiah Jude
29. Sellaiah Ketheeswaran
30. Sellar Moorthy
31. Sellar Mahenthiran
32. Vethanayagam Sebamalai
33. Veluppillai Sivabalasingam
34. Santhappillai Iruthayarasan
35. Sinnakutty Kanthasamy
36. Sivaganeshan
37. Gurukulasamy
38. Vadivel Ashokumar
39. Vinayagamoorthy Yoganthan
40. Veluppillai Mahenthiran
41. Vanniyasingam Krishnothayabalan
42. Thiyagarasa Ananthasivam
43. Kanthaiah Kulanthaivelu
44. Soosaipillai Christhurasa
45. Ramasamy Sinnathamby
46. Mahalingam Manmatharasa
47. Kumarasamy Satkunaseyon
48. Aasirvatham Alexander
49. Nagalingam
50. Kanapathipillai Pathmarasa
51. Michael Gnanapragasam
52. Subramaniam Ambalavaner

Quellen:
1984: "Massacre of Tamils 1956 - 2008", NESOHR (2010), pp. 24-25.