On 12.10.2003, Human remains were found in a pit near the Periyathambiran Temple in Thiraikeni, 57km south of Mattkalappu (Batticaloa) town in the Mattakalappu-Pottuvil road when Thiraikeni residents were cleaning the koyil (temple) compound.

Residents said the remains likely belong to the 48 Tamil civilians murdered by Sri Lanka Special Task Force (STF) and muslim homeguards on 6th August 1990. Muslim villages of Oluvil and Paalamunai lie to the north and south of Thiraikerni repectively. During the Eelam War II, the Tamil residents of Thiraikerni received continuous threats from the muslim villagers.

On 5th August 1990 nine muslim civilians from Oluvil and Paalamunai were murdered allegedly by the Sinhala thugs from TheegaVaavi, a village located few kilometers west of Thiraikerni. Rumors spread that Liberation Tigers have carried out the attack on the muslims, according to residents.

The State had a tactical use for the Jihad. But it was very uncomfortable with the SLMC which was threatening to deprive the main southern parties, the UNP and SLFP, of their Muslim support. In trying to create and use a religious division between  Eelamtamils, (Muslims, Christians and Saivaite) to dilute the claim for a Tamil homeland, the State was also giving a boost to a separate Muslim nationalism with its own set of grievances as well as ambitions. The State had also unintentionally created strong opposition from another quarter, to its ambition of making the East Sinhalese through State – sponsored colonization.

In time a muted call for an autonomous Muslim—dominated Amparai District emerged. In trying to use Muslims against Tamils, the State was playing a game which had disastrous consequences which exposed not just the weak­nesses of the Tamil nationalist ideology, but even more, the unreality of Sinhalese chauvinist ideology. The story, as at present, remains unfinished. Until the mid— 80’s, the strategy in Colombo was to neutralize the Muslims by offering them positions and patronage within the two main parties. With this done, the Sinhalization of the Amparai and Trincomalee Districts through State—aided colonization was simply thought a matter of time.

The following day muslim youth entered Thiraikerni and with the assistance of STF started attacking Tamil residents. Villagers who sought refuge in the Temple were killed with knives and batons. Muslim youths took away a 13 year old girl Saroja from her parents to a house nearby, raped her and set the house ablaze.

Thiraikerni was originally a coconut estate of Amparai district. On the 06.08.1990, the peace and hard work of the villagers was destroyed. (Nowadays, this village is not shown on google map. It means, the village is  wiping out)

A woman witness revealed the background of the events, the intention and purposes leading to the attack and how it was executed: Around 6 0′ clock in the morning, on the 6th August 1990; I heard the cries of women from the direction of my Muslim neighbour’s house. Since we had maintained a friendly relationship with our Muslim neighbours, I rushed to the house from which the Muslim women raised cries.

I found several women in that house and everyone was in tears, weeping over the death of some member of the family. The women said that their men who went to the paddy field at Alimadakadu had been cut to pieces and slain. No one knew who the killers were. I spent about half an hour with the grieving family; I shared their sorrow but returned home to attend to the household chores before the children left for school.

A few minutes after I returned home, and was busy with my work, I heard people shouting. Together with my husband I rushed to the gate to see what was wrong. We found men, women and children moving away from their homes in a state of excitement. They were in a state of great confusion, agitated with fear and worry. They told us that they were running away from an angry mob composed of Muslims who had vowed to destroy Thiraikeni. They were going to the Pillaiyar Koyil (Temple) as it is dangerous to remain in homes.

The Tamils who were running away, warned us saying “do not stay here; the mob is heavily armed according to information received from friendly Muslims”. My husband was shaken by the news. When the entire population in the village was moving out, we saw no wisdom in staying at home. Leaving all our possessions in our house and keeping the doors open, we left home with the children and took refuge in the Pillaiyar Koyil (Temple).

Soon the Muslims appeared on the road at a distance. Riotous gangsters numbering more than 150 men, armed with knives, swords, sickles and clubs and seemingly possessed by wild and violent anger, shouted slogans against the Tamils, and called out the Muslims to unite to fight the Tamils.

We were in bewilderment and spent every minute in fear. People prayed for Divine intervention to save the people from the apparent danger. As we looked up we saw clouds of smoke rising up the sky. The smoke came from the burning houses of the Tamils. As the goons were approaching the Temple, the people ran towards the Periyathambiran Koyil (Temple) and the mob followed. The people having resigned their fate watched with fear every movement of the menacing crowd of attackers. In a split of a second – no sooner the mob reached the koyil (Temple) premise, an armoured car, drove into the temple premise.

There were six soldiers in uniform in the vehicle. The soldiers acted differently. They did not themselves take part in the attack. The behaviour of the soldiers gave some courage to the Tamil youths to approach the armoured car. With hands raised above their heads, they walked up to the soldiers and sought to plead with the soldiers to prevail on the Muslims to prevent any attack on the poor innocent Tamils who had sought refuge in the temple. The soldiers, I was told, had to stop the Muslims. The soldiers were alleged to have told the young men that the Tamils had killed Muslims and therefore the army cannot intervene.

The soldiers waved their hands, telling the Tamil youths to go away from them, and that waving of their hands was taken as a signal for the attackers to begin their assault. First they began desecrating the Temple. Some went to damage the wall while some others broke the door. Yet the Tamils did not say a word to the attackers. Some of the Muslims entered into the sanctum and came out with the Sacred Trident and the spear that were firmly fixed to the ground. Some took away the tools like knife, axe and crowbar, used in the Temple by the priests.

The Tamils were later attacked with the Trident, the spear, and the tools taken away from the Temple. The attackers first assaulted the men seated on the ground with knifes. Those who were in the rear escaped. In the melee that followed the attack, even some of the injured ran away, but did not return alive. My husband was attacked with knife and he died there. The people wondered whether it was a joint attack of the Army and the Muslims – such attacks had occurred in the Tamils areas previously. The arrival of the soldiers at the Saivaite Koyil (temple) premises had an impact.

The goons appeared very happy and they shouted in jubilation. As the attackers were busy mauling the innocents, sharp reports of fire-arms were heard from the main trunk road. The soldiers who had come over to Thiraikerny to witness the annihilation of the Tamils fled in their armoured car. When the armoured vehicle left, the attackers too fled, crying out. ‘Tigers are coming to attack us’.

When they had all fled, I looked around, and found several of my people dead and among those killed was not only men but also women and children. A very young mother known as Vijeyaluxmy and her infant too were killed. A contingent of the police – the Special Task Force (STF) came in a number of vehicles. They had come there firing all the way.

We realized that it is their firing that drove away the soldiers and the attackers. They saw the large number that had been murdered and injured. The women, who had been frozen from shock and fear, were unable to speak. There was blood and flesh strewn all around.