Attack said to mark Koneswary rape and murder

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 August 2001, 04:22 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers in Batticaloa said that Tuesday's attack on the Sri Lanka Police detachement in the island's eastern province was carried out to mark the death of Koneswary Murugesapillai, a thirty five year old mother of three who was gang raped and murdered in front of her family allegedly by a group of Policemen from the Central Camp Police station on 21 August 1997. Koneswary was killed, according to her family, when the Policemenmen exploded a grenade on her lower abdomen to destroy evidence of the rape. None of the perpetrators of the woman's rape and murder have been brought to book so far.

The case is still pending in the Kalmunai court amid allegations that Central Camp Police had intimidated key witnesses to the murder.

On 23 September 1997, Policemen from the Central Camp detachement killed five civilians, burnt down 27 houses and damaged 45 homes in Koneswary's village, the Tamil sector of the settlement. The entire population of the village was rendred refugees.

Meanwhile, the Liberation Tigers in Batticaloa said in a note to the press that they completely destroyed the detachement and two mini camps nearby while simultaneously attacking Sri Lankan security forces positions in the 13th Colony, Mandoor and Malwatte to prevent reinforcements from coming to the aid of the Central Camp Police. They said that the detachement was attacked and overwhelmed in fifteen minutes.

The LTTE also released a list of weapons, ammunition and vehicles captured from the camp. The Voice of Tigers radio said two LTTE members were killed in the attack.