13. Vipulananthar (MT22) was 30 and was working as a cashier in a shop in Jaffna. His sister Rathidevi says, “There were just the two of us in the family, my brother and myself. Our father died long before the incident. He looked just like this photot when they took him away. Amma went everywhere that people told her to go including ICRC. She died in 1995 following our displacement to Vanni.

I have the ICRC book that they gave when amma registered the disappearance of my brother. I also have a letter from overseas written to amma. When the army came my brothers and a few others of his age ran to Allaipiddy and took refuge in the PhilipNeri’s church. Amma and I were at the Mandaitivu Pillaiyar temple. My cousins who were at the PhilipNeri church with my brother told us later that the army took my brother away”

14. S.Ratman Jeyaseelan (MT24) studied to be a priest but he had to leave because he did not do well enough at the GCE OL test. He was 23 when he was taken away. His sister Pathimasini says, “Amma used to do everything to search for him. She is dead now. She filled every form that was given to her. We went to Madu after 1995. After that we were not able to continue with the search.

When they took Rattu they divided the men into categories. They took many and released them. They did not release 13 boys from Mandaitivu. They were all from one extended family. The army said they would release them every time we asked. We also believed what they said and waited in front of the army camps. People who came from Mandaitivu later all said that the children are all there. There are three children in our family. Our father died early. I am the eldest. My other brother is married and left. Our mother and Rattu were staying with us.”

When Rattu’s mother is there and she begs for Rattu’s release. Douglas will say “Amma why do I need your boy. I will keep him until we capture the fort and then I will release him”. But he is no more.

15. Kuhanantharasa (MT25) disappeared from Allaipiddy on 6 September 1990 after being taken away by the army. He was aged 24 then. Mother carries all the documents about both her sons neatly as if it were her children. She is unable to talk about it and starts crying the moment she attempts. It was therefore difficult to get precise information from her. Satchithanantharasa (MT31n) her elder son was taken by the army in mid 1986 during the incident when the army that arrived in boats killed 31 people.

16. S Anpalakan (MT27) was 18 when he was taken away. His mother Lavaronsiyamma and his father together with two more parents of those disappeared from Mandaitivu met late President Premadasa in 1995 when he came to Vavuniya. This was reported in the Tamil dailies. Premadasa has told them that he will inquire into their cases. Lavaronsiyamma’s son-in-law Thaveethu Benjamin (MT32n) was killed in the Kilali sea in October 1992.

Benjamin was operating the boats that carried passengers across the sea during this period when the road route was closed. His co[1]worker was arrested by the army and was kept in Palaly and released. Lavaronsiyamma says, “We found his body only after it was pushed to shore by the waves. We performed the last rites at the shore and LTTE helped us bury the bodies. His wife, my daughter and her two children are now living in refugee camp”.

17. T Raveenthiran (MT28) was 21 years old when he disappeared. He was earning a living doing business. Her mother Rajeswari met the NESOHR inquiry team. She has three children. Her eldest son has lost the use of both legs after a polio attack. The other child is a girl. The army has burnt down their house in Mandaitivu. They are living in backyard of someone else’s house because the military is too close to their own land

18. S Lingeswaran (AP03) was 21 when he disappeared and he was farming. His brother Lingavasan says, “We are four boys and a girl in our family. They took three of us boys. Our youngest brother was too young. Kobbekaduwa was there and they rounded up and took us. My two elder brothers were taken to a different part of Mandaitivu. I managed to sneak into the group of older people who 41 of 861. 30 were married. I was hiding in fear. I then went and sat next to amma. They called me and I went. We spent that night there.

They beat us because a few people finished the water that was given for all. They called some of us to go to Mandaitivu. A few of us went in a tractor. There were about 50 bodies of LTTE people stacked up. They told us to bury the bodies. They told us to put them in the well. Douglas Devananda came. He looked very young. He read the list and he released my second brother. One commander  inquired me and released me. My older brother was not released. You are doing this after 15 years. We also have a unrealistic hope of finding our brother”.

19. T Gnanenthiran (AP04) was 18 and T Arulnesan (AP25) was 30 when they disappeared. “They took both of them on 25-08-90 and then released Arul. We all went to Mankumban. Arul said he will go to Chaddi Chithirai Matha temple. Sister of the two boys says;  Amma, acca and Arul went. Army chased amma and acca and took Arul away.

20. P Pathmarasa (AP06) was 20 when he was taken away. He was student at Allaipiddy Parasakthi school at that time. He is the eldest of three boys. His younger brothers were too small at that time. His 70 year old father Paramasamy contacted NESOHR. Father was sickly and had difficulty speaking.

21. Michael Sylvister (AP08) was 35 at the time of disappearance. He was working as a carpenter. His wife Annapuranam spoke to the inquiry team. Her brother Anthony Arokyarasa (AP09) was also taken away by the army. She says, “When army started chopping people in Mandaitivu people came screaming to Allaipiddy. There was not enough room in Philip Neri’s church. Army told everyone to go to Mankumban.

As we were going army came and took them away. My husband said to them that he has three young children. Our children were 7,5, and 2. He cried while talking to them. Our children and I were there too. Army said that they will release him after getting him to do some work. They took him on 25-08-90 and released him and then took him away again on 27-08-90

22. K Piramatheeswaran (AP12) was 21 years old and was farming when he was taken away. His sister Piramatheswari says; “My father went to the Anuradhapuram camp. He was shown video pictures of LTTE cadres who have died and was asked if his son was among them. He also went to Boosa, an infamous camp where Tamil detainees were kept and severely tortured, but he was not allowed in. He went to Welikade prison. Prison officers read the list of names of detainees in the prison but my brother’s name was not in it.

Parents later went to plead with the army to release the young men. Douglas Devananda and other EPDP men were there. Douglas read the list to the parents and said that they are with them and will be released.

23. A Jeyaseelan (AP14) was 23 years old and was working as a builder (mason) when he was taken away. His mother Chinnamalar says, “We have five children, three girls and two boys. At that time both boys and a girl were living with us. Other two girls have married and gone. We were having money trouble. So I sent my younger son to Navaly to my older daughter to get her jewels and pawn it and get some money. He did not return for four days. My older son asked me for bus money to go and see what has happened. I did not have money to give him.

If I had given the money and sent him he would still be with us (cries). He was carrying one of his sister’s children when army came. But they ordered to give the child and come with them. When we went behind them they threatened us with knife. We were frightened and we came back crying. They tied all our children together and took them away. They kept saying that they would release them when we go to ask. They will give us some rice”

24. Nobert Ramesh (AP17) was 19 and he was studying at Velanai Central College when they took him away. He is the only son in the family of five children. His mother Puthenamma says, “They took the father too. That was the last time we saw our son. We go and wait at the Allaipiddy junction everyday. We spoke to Kobbekaduwa too. He told us not to worry and that he will release them after inquiry. We went again and again.

Finally on September 28th they suddenly left. Children were also gone. There were various stories like they took some of the children in a ship. We went everywhere crying. They released my husband on the second day. He is fluent in English and Singhalese. Our son would have thought his father will be able to get him out. (cries). What can he do? He was kept in the Aluminium factory and our son was kept in Mandaitivu. Children who were released from Mandaitivu said that our son asked us not to cry and that he will come back. He asked us to send him out of the country. We told him to finish his studies because he is a clever boy”.

25. S.Selvanathan (AP18) was 21 years old and he was working as an electrician. He is the eldest of 8 children and the family depended on his earnings according to his father Selvanayagam’s affidavit. His sister Selvaranee contacted NESOHR. She says, “Four people from our family were taken in. Others were later released. Men carried children to give the impression that they were married to avoid being taken. Some of my brothers hid in the rice fields. After release Selvanathan went back to check on his older sister who was living alone and also to get his bicycle. He was returning with the bicycle on his shoulders. He did not want to ride it out of fear. He was just at the entrance to the Mankumban school when he was taken in”.

List – 2

Link of Part- 1 : https://30sec2remember.com/enforced-disappearances-in-mandaitheevu-part-1/

Link of Part- 3: https://30sec2remember.com/enforced-disappearances-in-mandaithivu-part-3/