22nd death anniversary of IPKF killed JTH personnel held in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 October 2009, 07:45 GMT]
The 22nd death anniversary of the 21 medical personnel including three leading doctors killed indiscriminately by the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF) on 21st October 1987 within Jaffna Teaching Hospital (JTH) was held Wednesday in JTH in an emotionally charged atmosphere, sources in Jaffna said. All activities of JTH were suspended for a while when the event took place with the participation of JTH personnel and hundreds of patients. IPKF, opening fire on the medical personnel who were trying to safeguard the patients and civilians, had killed more than a hundred of them too along with the medical personnel.

Dr. A. Sivapathasuntharam, Dr. K. Parimelakar and Dr. Kaneswaran were the three medical specialists gunned down mercilessly by the IPKF soldiers who stormed the hospital and opened fire on the innocent people.

Some medical employees of JTH who had managed to escape death in the IPKF massacre, now retired, stood in tears when homage was paid to the victims killed 22 years ago.

Hundreds of out patients who had come to JTH for treatment took part in the event.

Chronology: