Human skulls, bones unearthed in Thiraikerni
[TamilNet, Monday, 13 October 2003, 14:15 GMT]
Human remains were found in a pit near the Periyathambiran
Temple in Thiruaikerni, 57km south of Batticaloa town in the
Batticaloa-Pottuvil road when Thirukerni residents were
cleaning the temple compound during a shramadana effort
Sunday.

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
Thirkerni the Tamil residents of Thirukerni received
continuous threats from the muslim villagers.
On 5th August 1990 nine muslim civilians from Olivil 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 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.

In the killings that started at 7 am and went on till noon,
48 civilians were killed near the temple premises. Of the
twenty who were seriously injured four died at the
Kalmunai hospital, according to villagers.
Residents who escaped were taken to Karaithivu refugee camps
in STF trucks. Many of these refugees returned to their
village after four years.
Sinnathambi Karthigesu, 46, and other residents described
in detail to the TamilNet correspondent the events of
1990 and showed the remains unearthed Sunday.
The villagers appealed to the Sri Lanka Government to conduct
investigations on the Thiraikerni massacre and to bring the
perpetrators to justice. They also said that other incidents
where Tamils were abducted and murdered from Vantharumoolai Eastern
Univesity, Sathurukondan, Mahildithivu, Pullumalai, Veeramunai
and other areas of the east also need to be investigated and the
remains of the murdered found.


