“On 5th September 1990, by about 6 o’clock in the morning Army men from Kommathurai army camp along with personnel from some other camps as well came in a SLTB bus and entered the premises of the Eastern University. This was followed by an announcement by an amplifier fitted to a white colored van asking the refugees to form into three different queues- persons of the age group of 12 to 25 in the first row, persons of the age group of 26 to 40 in the second row and persons over 40 years of age in the third row. People in three queues were asked to pass through a point where five persons in masks clad in army uniform were seated in chairs along with seven Muslims standing those in masks.

“Whenever the persons in masks gave a signal, the people who were in the queues were taken away from the queue to a side. When this operation was completed, 158 persons who were pulled out from the queues were taken away by the Army despite the protests by their kith and kin. There was evidence to show that the arrests were done by the Kommathurai army camp with the assistance of personnel from other army camps as well and that the following army officers were directing the operations; Captain Munas, Captain Palitha, Captain Gunaratna, Major Majeed and Major Monan.

“There was also evidence to show that Gerry de Silva had visited the refugee camp on 8th September, 1990 and had told the officers responsible for the administration of the refugee camp that all the 158 persons who were taken into custody on 5th September were found guilty. However he had declined to say what had happened to them after they found guilty.

On the arrests and subsequent disappearances from the village of Sathurukondan and other villages the final report the Presidential Commission of Inquiry said;

“On this day 184 persons had been taken into custody in this village. Regarding the above group arrest the Commission listened to the testimony of 63 complaints relating to the disappearances of 72 persons. Most of the persons who disappeared during the incident were from the villages of Sathurukondan, Pillaiayradi, Panichchaiyady and Kokuvil.

“According to the evidence given by the complainants, army soldiers attached to the Sathurukondan Boys Town Army Camp entered the villages of Sathurukondan, Pillaiayradi, Panichchaiyady and Kokuvil by about 6 p.m. on 9th September, 1990 and ordered the people to come to the army camp. The male members of the household fearing arrest hid themselves leaving the children and females in their houses thinking that the army will not harass them. However the army ordered all those who were in their houses irrespective of the fact whether they were infants, children, females aged or disabled to come out of their houses and when they had assembled outside their houses marched them along the road into the army camp.

“The only surviving witness Kandasamy Krishna Kumar gave evidence before the Commission. Ms Patricia Lawrence of Denver Law School in USA in her letter to Commission stated that in May, 1994 the people living in Thannamunai had observed that soldiers were seen removing bones from the main ditch at the site of the massacre and burning these bones for the second time,” the final report of the presidential Commission said.

On the night of 9 September 1990, Eelamtamils from Mattakalappu (Batticaloa), Saththurukkondan, Panichchaiyady, Kokkuvil, Pillaiyarady were taken to the Army camp for interrogation. I was the only survivor of the185 civilians taken there. We were stabbed with sharp knives including a one and a half year old child, children and women.

“On this day at around five thirty in the evening Army men both in civil and military clothing came and told that the officer in charge of the Camp wanted us to come to the camp for enquiry and so they took us.”

“Elderly, Women, children and even babies were taken to the Saththrukkondan Army camp. After that four of us were taken to the back side of the camp and blindfolded and our mouth was stuffed with a cloth as well. Later they laid us on a wood brick and suddenly they started stabbing us with sharp knives. I laid there as if I was dead. I head voices of agony and pain I can’t even describe, all around me.

After every thing was all over I slowly opened my eyes and saw butchered bodies all around me. I then crawled my way through the dead bodies and hid myself among small shrubs. It was around three clock in the morning at that time. After exiting from that hell I came to the village and I was admitted to the hospital for treatment. The army was at this point in time was in search of me after having heard of my escape. I was handed over to the Rev. Miller for protection by the Batticaloa Peace Committee. I lost my whole family in this incident. I am the only survivor.”

Some of the other witnesses to the events of that day have recounted the horrifying details of the massacre:

“I am the principal at the Kathaiyakkan Thivu school. On that day at around 11 in the morning a man wearing a red half sleeved T- shirt was going in a bicycle. He was new to the village and had a knife on the handle of the cycle. I immediately sensed that something was wrong and took my wife and children in a cycle to the Saththurukkondan colony. At that time, I saw Armed personnel both in civil and military clothing taking many civilians including women, children and elderly. We stayed the day at the Saththurukkondan colony. The army camp was situated a thousand meters from my house. I heard cries of distress, shouts for help of women and children trough out the night.

We also heard gun shots being fired and also saw a huge fire as well… Next day morning I went to my uncle’s house. I couldn’t see my uncle, aunt, nephew, niece or any of the children. All I saw was some splattered small shoes of the children. In this massacre one and a half year old Subhosini, three year old Thulasi, seven years old Sulochana were lost. I heard that all of them were taken to the Army camp and were butchered. Even the bodies have been burnt. Some kids who had gone near the camp later for rearing the cattle have said that they had seen many skulls and bones.” (Kanthiah Sivakkolunthu 37)

“On that day I had taken shelter in the jungle fearing the military. Since I thought that the Army won’t harm children I had left my siblings, Sothivadivel (7), Sharmila (9) at our house. They are also missing since the day of the massacre.I heard a lot of cries for help and mercy and a lot of shots being fired all through out the night on that day. (Vairamuththu Ariyavadivel 22)

“My two son-in-laws were killed by the army only two months before the Saththurukkondan massacre. After that in the Saththurukkondan massacre I lost my wife, three daughters and seven grand children including a one year old one. I lost my whole family, eleven members all together to the army.” (Ganapathippillai Arunachalam 73)

“Our grandson, Vijayakumar (8) was staying with us and had gone to play outside on that day. As he was missing for some time we went in search of him and we saw many people being taken by the Army and among them was my grandson. Sensing the situation me and my wife hid ourselves… Among the crowd, 19 of my own close relatives were there. After coming to know those who were taken had not returned I along with my wife went near the camp searching them. It was around seven in the evening. We heard the women crying, pleading for mercy and children shouting and crying in distress and pain. We could not hear those voices after that and so we came back… (The ICRC) were not allowed to see. Later the Bishop talked to the Brigadier and went there with the members of the Citizen’s committee, Sebamalai Geevaratnam and Singarasa to see what happened. Sivarasa later told that he saw his wife’s slippers and that of many children’s and babies’. (Retired Electricity Foreman Augustinepillai Phillippillai 73)

“16 of my family members were taken on that day to the camp by the Army. On that day when the Army came, only women and children were mostly at home. The men had taken refuge in the forest. At around 5.30 Army took all those who were at home. After some time a lot of voices of distress and pain were heard from the Army camp.(Kanthasamy Nagaratnam 39)

“My wife told me that if the Army came they will only take the men therefore you hide your self. I will stay in the house, they won’t take women. But I lost my wife who had saved me as they had taken her to the camp. After the Army left I went near the camp in search of her but I only heard people crying.” (E.Vairamuththu 62)

“On the day of the massacre about 60 Army personnel came at around 5.30 armed with guns and butcher knives. I took refuge in a small palmarah plant. The Army then took my mother, father and three children. I was thinking that they would be released after interrogation but even after eight they were not and so I went in search of them near the camp. I heard a lot of people crying in pain and agony that I got scared and returned home.(Rasaiyah Ratnaiya 45, of Panichchaiyadi)

“After coming to know of this massacre, we recorded the testimony of the sole survivor KANDASAMY KRISHNAKUMAR. We still have the audio recording. Later we brought this atrocity to the attention of the Batticaloa Brigadier SENAVIRATNA. But he refused even to see us. Rest of the higher ranking Army officers also refused to talk to us about this incident.” (Batticaloa’s Peace committee President and retired Government Agent S. Arunagirinathan)

But; At an inquiry into the massacre, the Officer-in-Charge of the camp, Captain. Gamini Varnakula Sooriya said “On that day no search or arrest was conducted by us”. He also reiterated that none of his men even ventured out of the camp on the day of the massacre.

News link of Eelanatham: https://30sec2remember.com/eelanatham-11-09-1990/

Available names of victims :

R.Nagamma – 26, R.Theepa -10,  R.Jegatheesan -10, R.Nagamma, House wife- 26,  J.Kumuthiny -12, J.Nesamma – 25,  J.Thevarasi – 27,  J.Santhiriya – 19,  J.Seeniththamby – 70,  J.Vanitha – 12, E.Jeevanathan -30,  U.Kalimuthu -55,  U.Mariamuthu, House wife – 33, U.Kopickannan -12, Umaithamby -70,  Nallaiah Ramachchandran, Own work –  44, K.Nallaiah, Own work -72, K.Sureshkaran  -11,  Kanthan Ilayathamby –  55,  Kamala – 09,  Kanapathipillai Thangamuthu, Own work – 46, P.Kanthasamy -29, P.Kamalanthan -09, P.Kavitha -12,  P.Thamenthiny -04, P.Archchimuthu -76,  P.Ponnamma – 70, P.Santhanam -37, P.Sriluxsumy -18, P.Vinothiny  – 12, P.Vasanthy -23, Pirapa – 02, T.Dilani -05,T.Nanthiny -16, T.Nathan – 12, T.Nageswary -37, T.Nitharshini -12,  T.Kugan -10, T.Kirubakaran -03,  T.Kanmani -32, T.Kannan -25, T.Kanapathipillai -50, T.Poopalapillai -65, T.Paramsoothy – 37, T.Piratheepan – 05, T.Thillaiyamma – 63, T.Mahaluxsumy – 31, T.Malai – 55, T.Jeyackanthan -10, T.Jegan – 09, T.Mohanasuntharam -27, T.Selva -07, T.Sri -28, T.Vijayakumar (Kumaran) – 08,T.Vijayaluxsumy -29, T.Vasanthy -01,

T.Rasenthiran -04, I.Murugan -65, V.Thangamma -38, Vairamuthu Atputhavadivel, Own work -46,  T.Kanapathipillai – 50,  Thambipillai -72, Thambiiya Kirubairatnam, Own work – 50, M.Selvanayagam- 55,  M.Ramaiya -70, R.Kamalrajah -11,  R.Nesamma -62, R.Suthakaran -10, R.Viji -08,  R.Vasanthy -15,  Alagaiah Navaretnam, House wife -16, Alagaiah Manchsula, House wife, Alagaiah Sowthirarajan, Student -12, J.Vijayaluxsumy -10,  J.Ramani -02,  Jothyvadivel -06, K.Mooththathamby -79, K.Ilayathamby -55,  K.Eelan -15, K.Nagaratnam -40, K.Nallaiah -72, K.Nallamma -66, K.Karikaran -08,  K.Kathirgamathamby  -75, K.Kathirgamathamy -68,  K.Kumutha -23, K.Kamalan -06,  

K.Keetha -12,  K.Krishnapillai -14,  K.Kannan -10, K.Packiyamvv-46, K.Tharani -04,  K.Thambaiah -65, K.Thangamma, House wife -75,  K.Thangavel -24, K.Arasamma -60, K.Nesamma -48, K.Sathes -04, K.Siyamala -13, K.Sinnamuthu -66, K.Sivatharsan -05, K.Savuntharam -038,  K.Vimala -02,  K.Vasikala, Child -13,  K.Rasaththy, Child -12,  K.Rameshkaran, Child -07,  Periyathamby, Own work -75,  Thevy -32,   Sebastiyan Selvanayagam, Labour -45,  Venurajah -25,  Lexsumy, Own work -48,  G.Sowntharanayagam -26,  Santhimathy, Own work -20,  Samiththamby Alagaiah, Labour -34, Sinnaththamby Veluppillai -68,  Seeni Kopal -57, Siththirathevy -29, Sivatharshini, Child -04,  V.Nallaiah -27, V.Poomani -45, V.Jothyvadivel, Student -06, V.Sarmila, Student -08, V.Luxsumy -48, Ratnaraja Rukthy -06, A.Jeeva -15,  A.Umaithamby -70, A.Navaratnam -45,  A.Manchsula -18,  A.Aththappillai – 72, A.Alagaiah, Child -10,  A.Arul, Child -09, A.Ponnuththurai -62,

A.Sutha -09, A.Seeththa -18, S.Indrani, Child -10, S.Jeevamalar -25, S.Nagathesi, Child -12, S.Nirmala, Child -13, S.Nallaiah -45,  S.Kanthasamy -29,  S.Kasipathiyar -60, S.Kajenthiny, Baby -02,  S.Kavitha, Child -09, S.Kunaratnam -33,  S.Palippdy -62, S.Priya, Baby, 03 months, S.Punniyamoorthy, Child -13, S.Thangamma -57, S.Thangeswary -24, S.Thavakuneswaran -25, S.Maheswary -28, S.Malar, Child -09,  S.Alagaiah -50,  S.Yogarasa -14, S.Nesam -52,  S.Ponnampalam -55, S.Ponnamma -24, S.Theivanai -45, S.Selvarasa -31, S.Gnaneswary -38,  S.Sapapathipillai -70, S.Suresh -02, S.Saroshathevy -28, S.Sinnappillai – 35,  S.Sinnaththamby -27, S.Sivaratnam -12,  S.Vadivel -65, S.Vijayan, Baby -01, S.Vinotharan, Baby -05,  S.Vallippillai -75,  S.Rasalingham -58,  S.Raveenthiran -21, A.Nagaretnam -45, A.Sutha, Student -09,  N.Rasamma 70, N.Kumuthiny -18,  N.Packiyam -66, N.Palaththai -70,    N.Prema-18,  N.Piratheepan -05,  N.Tharshini -06,  N.Theepan -09, N.Jegan -12,  N.Sornamma -44,  N.Venuthas, Infant -03 months, N.Venurajah, Infant -04 months, V.Gnanaratnam -32, N.Siththirathevy -22,  N.Sivatharsan,  M.Packiyam, House wife -53,  M.Parameswary -32, M.Sailaya, Baby, 07 193. M.Vairamuthu, -, 55 194. M.Thulashi, Baby, 04 195. M.Periyathamby, -, 75 196. M.Thevagi -25, M.Suposhini, Baby,   M.Sivagnanam -35, M.Vijayan -19, M.Rasa -24.

(Source : Tamilnet & Tamilnation)