Karikalan S. Navaratnam
“Governments need to have both shepherds and butchers” ~ Voltaire
36th anniversary has just passed by. The prison carnage was a bloody chapter necessarily complementing the horrors of ‘Black July’ narrative. Sadly, ‘1983 Welikada Massacre’ featuring the butchery of Tamil prisoners has sunk into oblivion. In ethno-political discourses, the prison riots of 2012 have supplanted the 1983 massacre.
I was associated as a Junior, with Senior lawyer Mr.M. Sivasithamparam (Siva), representing a number of these prisoners in Colombo High Court cases, filed under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Of course, their dreams and sacrifices merit more than just sharing mournful memories. I have, per force, revisited herein some of my experiences as I had recounted previously in the Colombo Telegraph columns, touching on Welikada killings.
25th & 27th July 1983
In all, 53 Tamil prisoners were massacred, back to back, on both days. Out of the 73 Tamil political prisoners held at Welikade, only 20 survived. It was a joint venture planned and executed by Sinhala prison officers and hardcore criminals/convicts with the support of security forces. Before being shifted to Welikada jail, all of them were detained at Panagoda Army Camp under the PTA. Armed with the pernicious provisions of the PTA, army/police officers had routinely subjected Tamil detainees to severe torture and degrading treatment, for two reasons: – to extract self-incriminating “confessions” and to derive sadistic pleasure.
Survivor David
Mr. S.A. David was one of the survivors of the Welikada Massacre. He and Dr. Rajasunderam were leading figures in Gandhiyam movement. David was an Architect by profession, qualified from Melbourne University and had served in Sri Lanka, Australia, UK, Nigeria and Kenya. ( He died in Oct. 2015, at 91 years). Dr. Rajasunderam was killed in the Welikada massacre.
Mr. David’s “Detention, Torture and Murder”, published in Nov. 1983, (reproduced in JDS –Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka Report, 25 July 2013) would give glimpses of the maltreatment he and other detainees at Panagoda camp had endured. ( A few excerpts, for illustration) :
Maltreatment
“After Dr. Rajasunderam was brought to the Panagoda camp, the attack on the Tamil detainees became very frequent and more vicious. Almost every other day and whenever he was in the mood, Commander Udugampola would come drunk with a glass of arrack in his hand and open the cells, strip the detenus and assault and kick and curse them. I could hear cries of pain and groans throughout the nights and early mornings and see naked colleagues hanging head down from high window bars. I saw naked detenus being chased around the courtyard and being assaulted and kicked by six to eight soldiers with PVC pipes and iron rods in their hands.”
“One day Commander Udugampola came drunk and opened my cell, ordered me to strip and lie face down on a concrete bench. He ordered three soldiers to trample my back and legs and hit me on my buttocks. They left me exhausted on the bench.”
“In comparison to the torture meted out to the other detenus I must admit I was mildly treated. Dr. Rajasunderam was severely attacked, his left arm dislocated, his ear drums broken and left on several occasions unconscious on the floor……..One day Dr. Rajasunderam was ordered to walk on all fours hands and legs and bark like a dog…….”.
Datainees beaten to death
“I heard from other colleagues, later at Welikade where I got a chance to talk to others, the detenus had been beaten to death at Kurunagar and Elephant Pass camps. Bottles, iron rods and sticks have been driven into rectums, chilli powder smeared and smoke forced through nostrils and mouth, beaten with iron bars and iron pipes till bleeding, cut with broken bottles, beaten and kicked unconscious, starved for days, forced to eat food with excess salt and kept chained to wall with hands raised for months continuously. Some were in detention for over two hand a half years and undergone torture all these years.”
Devanandan
During the months leading to July 1983, I had appeared for Kathiravelu Devanandan and his two brothers in the Fort-Joint Magistrate Court. Devanandan was none other than the EPDP leader Douglas Devananda M.P. He was later detained at Panagoda camp. I learnt from other clients how he was treated at Panagoda: Stripped naked, he was surrounded by a dozen army men and was brutally beaten up with rifle butts and clubs – kicked about, trampled under their boots and was left battered and bleeding. In army parlance, they called it “softening up” a new arrival.
It was incongruous that Douglas later became a partner of the racist regimes. Verily, he had valid reasons to be hostile towards LTTE . In their abortive attempts to eliminate Douglas, LTTE had even killed his brother. But then, I just could not come to terms with Douglas’ politics.
Last visit to Welikada
On Saturday, 16 July 1983 morning I visited prisoners Thangathurai, Kuttimany and Jegan at Welikada prison. While leaving them, I promised to see them again the week after next. But, that was not to be.
On Saturday, 23 July 1983, I was in Mannar to attend the TULF party Annual Convention. I was a Politburo member. The 1st day sessions were over and 2nd day sessions were scheduled for Sunday 24th. MPs A.Amirthalingam, M.Sivasithamparam (Siva), V.Yogeswaran, R. Sampanthan, Neelan Tiruchelvam and I were staying at Mannar Rest House. In the early hours of 24th, Jaffna MP Yogeswaran’s wife called to convey a grim message – that a barrage of explosions were heard the previous night and that army was running amok on a shooting spree, killing civilians at sight. Follow-up calls from different sources, informed us that attacks on Tamil targets were spreading out. Due to menacing military movements we were compelled to cancel the Sunday sessions. (By the way, on 25 July 1983 Siva’s house at Colombo-Norris Canal Road was looted and razed to the ground , and my house at Cotta Road, Borella was attacked by a mob led by a saffron-robed monk.).
Lawyer Manouri calls
On 26 July morning some of us met at Mannar MP P. Soosaithasan’s residence. There was a call to Siva from lawyer Manouri Muttetuwegama (Communist M.P. Sarath’s wife and Dr.Colvin’s daughter). She informed Siva that some of his clients in Welikada jail had been killed, the previous day. She could not give details. Siva telephoned Acting Commissioner of Prisons Mr. Jansz who confirmed that there was “some bad news”, but politely declined to give details. Mr. Amirthalingam, who arrived there a bit later, telephoned President Jayawardene. JR confirmed that some Tamil prisoners were killed and added that the names would be broadcast over the radio that night.
Prisoners butchered
As menacing army movements intensified, we moved out to the house of a party stalwart, V. Kayilayapillai in Iluppakadavai village. It was a spartan house. There was no electricity. In the evening we all gathered in the frontyard, with a battery-operated radio, anxiously awaiting the broadcast. At 9.00 pm, names of 35 victims, including Kuttimany, Thangathurai and Jegan were announced. Government tried to make out it was a prison riot. Slaughter of further 18 prisoners on 27 July 1983 said it loud and clear that it was a pre-planned operation, orchestrated by Sinhala officers with official blessings.
Official complicity
They had served alcohol to hardcore criminals in the jail, armed them with machetes, kitchen knives, clubs etc, opened the cells for them and set them upon the Tamil prisoners. In the two days of gory attacks, 53 Tamil prisoners were butchered to death and their bodies were piled up in front of a Buddha statue within the prison complex, maybe, as an offering to Lord Buddha. Army personnel on guard outside the jail had rushed to the spot; but continued to watch the “fun”. Evidence revealed that some of the critically-injured victims were still alive, moaning and groaning, while being thrown into a truck, but were hacked down and killed.
“Massacre upon massacre”
Coumnist Firoze Sameer’s write-up on Welikada carnage (“That Massacre Upon Massacre”, Sunday Times -27 July 2008 ), had laid bare the odious role of some officials in the massacre. (Excerpts):
“Jailor Rogers Jayasekere, President JR Jayewardene’s supporter in Kelaniya, allegedly played from behind the scenes while the killings were in progress, while jailor Samitharatne alias Samitha Rathgama and location officer Palitha’s roles were apparently tenuous on that fateful day.”
“Lieut. Hathurusinghe would not allow the truck containing 35 bodies to leave the prison precincts for the Accident Service until he received approval from the top. Over the telephone, the major in charge of the unit told him that “permission for such removal would have to be granted by the secretary to the Ministry of Defence”, who was Col. C. A. Dharmapala, who was present at the Security Council meeting at Army Headquarters, chaired by President JR Jayewardene.”
“Suriya Wickremasinghe, civil rights activist ( CP Leader Dr. S. A. Wickremasinghe’s daughter), notes: “… We know from eyewitnesses…… that the bodies were attacked again on the floor of the lobby to make sure they were dead. They were dragged into the compound and attacked there. They were thrown into the truck, and according to some eyewitness accounts, the sound of bodies being attacked even inside the truck could be heard. Indeed, according to one of our witnesses, one young prisoner (Kanapathipillai Mylvaganam, 19 years) who had succeeded in hiding, was actually killed in the compound by a jailor.”
“Suriya Wickremasinghe noted that not a single prison officer was able to identify a single rioter, and that an identification parade was never held following both prison massacres.”
Call from ‘India House’
At Iluppakadavai, a messenger from the local sub-post office showed up late in the night with an urgent message for Mr. Amirthalingam: There was an important telephone call waiting for him.Taking care not to alert the restive army, we avoided using the vehicle headlights and instead using a torch light, gingerly proceeded to the post office. The call was from ‘India House’(High Commissioner’s residence) in Colombo. The caller at the other end was Indian Foreign Minister Mr. Narasimha Rao. Mr. Rao wanted Amirthalingam to travel to India early for “consultation”. Evidently, feelings were running high in Tamil Nadu and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had responded. It was a watershed moment – that presaged the 30-year war.
Mr. Amirthalingam arrived in India in the 1st week of August 1983. As arranged, I left for India before he did. In Colombo, my good friend Vasantha Obeyesekere (the film director, who is no more) helped me at a moment of adversity and despair. On my way to Katunayake airport, I passed by the skeletal remains of burnt out houses, business places and charred remains of hundreds of vehicles strewn all over. Mercifully, I did not come across any human remains. Probably, they were already removed. Nonetheless, the cruel scenes, conjured up images of brutal attacks on hundreds of Tamils who were hacked to death or burnt alive.
Amnesty International
During a visit to London in July 1984, I called at Amnesty International (AI) Office and requested them to press for an independent inquiry into the Welikada Massacre. AI officials showed me a file with repeated requests addressed to President J.R. urging for a probe. AI did not receive even an acknowledgment from the President’s Office.
Conclusion
As regards 2012 Welikada prison riots, which erupted following a STF search for illegal arms, drugs, cellphones etc., there was an organized campaign and media outcry demanding justice for the victims – 27 prisoners killed and others injured on either side. Pursuant thereto, big guns were arrested and, lately, indictments have been filed against (Ex) Prison Commissioner Lamahewage and IP Rangajeeva (per, Sunday Observer, 21 July 2019). So far so good. Apropos 1983 “Welikada Massacre”, 53 Tamil prisoners were butchered . Media played muffled drums. In Sri Lanka Tamil lives are dirt cheap – and expendable !
SDK / August 9, 2019
“In Sri Lanka Tamil lives are dirt cheap – and expendable !”
So blessed to live in another country rather than my place of birth, – Sri Lanka
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S.Mahendra / August 10, 2019
I too join you – now living in Switzerland, having lost my 20-year-old
son to Sinhala Villagers at Udapolla Group, Deraniyagala on 29th July
1983, where he was murdered and set fire using tyres. This day 9 other
businessmen in Deraniyagala town were murdered and their shops
destroyed. All this is now unwritten history.
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S.Mahendra / August 10, 2019
I would be failing, at my advanced age of 84 yrs. not to mention my
colleague late Rajasundaram (R.M.P) who married the D M O attached to Eheliyagoda Hospital when we were members of Gandhi Sangam
at Paranthan. Late Rajasundaram also served as a Vice President of The Ceylon Estates Staffs Union then headquartered at Collpetty.
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NAK / August 14, 2019
The question is how come the Tamil politicians go to bed with the perpetrators who committed these heinous crimes and the Tamil polity simply follow them like the mice after the pied piper
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PBG / August 9, 2019
Within a week we find two articles on the killing of Tamils. Why has CT never had an article on killing by Tamils?
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Kumar R. / August 9, 2019
PBG,
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You are missing the point by a mile!
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What is spotlighted in the two articles is the dastardly Governmental culpability in not just failing to protect its citizens, but in fact its role in planning and executing such cowardly horror on defenseless prisoners while being held in government’s legitimate custody.
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And, that by a Government pretending to aspire establishing Buddhist thoughts and values as top priority!!
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meenachchi / August 9, 2019
PBG,
Probably the people who want to write such an article can only write in Sinhala.
Why don’t you write one yourself? I am sure CT will oblige and publish.
Or there never were unprovoked sadistic killings/ torture by Tamils .If you know of any, please describe.
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PBG / August 10, 2019
Meenachchi, SDK and others
‘Or there never were unprovoked sadistic killings/ torture by Tamils .If you know of any, please describe.’ – Meenachchi
‘Why has CT never had an article on killing by Tamils? Because it is negligible compared to the other way around.- – SDK
On 18 July 1996 the Tamils murdered 207 Sinhalese prisoners at the Mulaitivu camp. Many of them appeared to have been herded together, doused with gasoline and set on fire, burning to death.
On 3 August 1990 the Tamils murdered 147 Muslims praying in the Kattankudy mosque.
On 14 May 1985 the Tamils murdered 146 Sinhalese worshiping at the Anuradhapura Bo tree.
On 17 April 1987 a week before the agreed ceasefire the Tamils killed 127 Sinhalese at the village of Aluth Oya near Habarana.
On 16 October 1995 the Tamils killed 120 Sinhalese in the Eastern province to try to ethnically clean it, committing genocide.
On 11 June 1990 the Tamils killed 600 to 800 unarmed Sinhalese policemen in Batticaloa
There are many more instances as you know.
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Native Vedda / August 10, 2019
PBG
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Alright.
I have solution for you TAMIL PROBLEM.
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Let us count the total number of death of Tamils in the hands of Sinhalese between 1956 and 2019, assume it is X
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Let us count the total number of death of Sinhalese in the hands of Tamils between 1956 and 2019, assume it is Y.
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The difference is X – Y or Y -X
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If X -Y > 1 let find X -Y Sinhala prisoners in death row and hang them.
If Y-X > 1 let find Y – X number of innocent people and kill under the pretext of national security.
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Will that solve your problem as you would have equalised the number of killing by both parties.
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Aren’t you going to tank me for this brilliant idea?
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Similarly we could equalise the Killing of Tamils by Muslims home guards and death due to Easter bombing by Caliphs and LTTE killing innocent Muslims.
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You should use your brain once in a while.
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Rohan / August 10, 2019
They know the truth but deliberately lie and mislead.
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Rajash / August 10, 2019
Native Vedda – “PBG You should use your brain once in a while.”
and then you confuse Poor PBG with mathematical formula X and Y and X-Y
it is obvious PBG has no brains ; how do you expect him to understand X and Y
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Native Vedda / August 10, 2019
Rajash
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He should use his brain if he has the capacity to find it.
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Siva Sankaran Sharma / August 10, 2019
From independence 1 million Indian origin estate Tamils , who had lived in the island for more than 150 years and earned most of the foreign exchange were made stateless, as they identified themselves as Tamils , whereas 50% of the present day Sinhalese population , who are descended from South Indian slave imports , who arrived a century or tow before these estate Tamils , were considered true sons of the soil, just because they spoke Sinhalese and now call themselves Sinhalese. Over 300000 Tamil civilians, 145000 in May 2009, were deliberately killed by the Sri Lanka state the armed forces/police, Sinhalese /Muslim thugs and criminals. Muslim home guards in the east, who were heavily armed by the Sri Lankan state, had killed, raped looted thousands of eastern Tamils, destroyed many Hindu temples and ethnically cleansed thousands of Tamil Hindu villages . Tamils are the ancient indigenous population in the east . Not the Sinhalese or Muslims , who are recent arrivals but now trying to steal the east from its Tamil owners , with all sorts of fairy tales and with the Sinhalese state help. This is why the state appoints Tamil/Hindu hating Islamic extremists to high positions in the east. The Kattankudi massacre was a reply to what happened to the Hindu Tamils , at the hands of these Islamic extremists. That mosque then as now , was a hot bed of Wahhabi Islamic extremism. Many of the so called Sinhalese civilian deaths , were not Sinhalese civilian deaths at all but these people were criminals and thugs , who were deliberately settled in the Tamil areas by the Sri Lankan state to create trouble for the Tamil civilians, they were doing this with the Sinhalese state help and the LTTE finished them off. Some of the so called Sinhalese civilians were deliberately killed by the STF and the blame laid on the LTTE .
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Siva Sankaran Sharma / August 10, 2019
The LTTE killed the most around 3000 or less Sinhalese and Muslims , compared to the 300000 Tamil civilians killed by the Sri Lankan state and over a million Tamils deliberately chased out of the island and displaced by the Sri Lankan state. 99.99% of the Sinhalese and Muslims were hardly affected by the war but come here and claim victimhood. In fact both communities gained. It was the Tamils who were the victims , lost a lot and faced violence from all parties
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Pandi Kutti / August 10, 2019
Chingkalla meenachchi ,really punchi menika, stick to plucking tea or being an ayammah , that you Chingkallams are really good at , instead of attempting to be witty or sarcastic, that you people are very bad at.
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Meenachchi / August 10, 2019
P BG,
Even according to govt. figures, around 3000 Sinhala civilians were killed in 30 years. Even you won’t be stupid enough to say that less than 3000 Tamil civilians were killed.
Just for the record, well over 3000 people died in road accidents in the last 18 months. Massacre my foot!
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SDK / August 9, 2019
PBG,
“Why has CT never had an article on killing by Tamils?”
Because it is negligible compared to the other way around.
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Ismail / August 10, 2019
Also there are honest Sinhalese policemen and army mentioned in other places that this writer doesn’t mention.
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old codger / August 9, 2019
Mr .Navaratnam gives a graphic description of the situation almost 40 years ago in 1983.
We can imagine what sort of Police and Army we have nowadays , since the Sinhala Buddhists have a monopoly on those jobs now. A clear indication is how Dr. Shafi was framed by the Police in Kurunegala. But the political establishment still resists indicting the rabid racist cabal responsible with the same speed that Shafi was taken in. For sure nothing whatsoever will happen to that arrogant ” monk” Athureliya Ratana, the expert on sterilizations. If that pretentious idiot knew so much about medical practice, why did he become a monk? Or was that his mother’s decision?
On the quality of our lawmen, it is useful to remember that two DIG’s are currently in prison, one for covering up a murder, and the other for extortion and murder. These two could easily have become IGP if they weren’t caught.
I think we need not only foreign judges but foreign policemen too. 70 years is long enough . We don’t have to suffer this mediaeval anarchy any longer.
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PARAGON / August 9, 2019
IF BY ANY CHANCE GOTHAPAIYA LOOSE THE ELECTIONS THERE WILL BE ANOTHER JULY 1983 WILL BE CREATED BY FORMER ARMY GUYS WHO ARE STRONG SUPPORTERS OF GOTHA AGAINST TAMILS AND MUSLIMS IN THE SOUTH.
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Nathan / August 9, 2019
Disgusting and disgraceful for any civilised community but for these people this is only a feather for their thirst for blood. Bloody shame on you guys. It is equally shame for fellows like devananda to suck the racists for a minister post. Is his life worth in any way. This bugger alone had done enough brutality to Tamils. Of course heaping the butchered bodies in front of Buddha is giving Dana to Buddha, a Sinhala Buddhist style. That is something unique to these guys. They do that to all and don’t call them racists. They just want blood. Janz was the commissioner ( or acting) then and a gentleman but he was helpless and overwhelmed by the rabid mad dogs who were bent on killing humans. No wonder the country is still bleeding. How to for HLD to say unique people of Lanka. Well said man but only thing you have run away. Coming to that evil Udugampola he butchered Sinhala youth too with same ferocity during 88, 89 period. But who cares, they only want lives. What a blood thirsty monsters. Mahavamsa confirms all that crisply.
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ranjith / August 9, 2019
Shadows of white vans broad day light murders threatening and killing journalists killing rugger players undemocratic regimes independence of justice under threat etc etc raising it’s head signs of amendments to the constitution like 18th amendment is discuss behind under the cover of lotus flower history is repeating like a cart wheel
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Nathan / August 9, 2019
I am personally aware of Sinhala friends who sent their children abroad saying that SL is not a place to bring up children. To this date it is true and all the Sinhala people with means have sent their children away. I have seen my Sinhala friends crying seeing the crimes committed by their fellow men and even Buddhist clergy. But they are equally helpless. Will we ever change.
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KA / August 10, 2019
They are pretending.
People like them are Mangala Samaraweera, Ranil, Chandrika etc.
They shed crocodile tears and readily accept to the extent of deflecting any external attention.
Is it not these Singalams who now deny genocide, etnic cleansing etc and making terrorism propaganda?
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Themis / August 9, 2019
The Welikada Prison Massacre took place during the 1983 Black July pogrom against Sri Lankan Tamil minority in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Fifty-three prisoners were killed inside a high-security prison.[No one has been convicted of crimes relating to these incidents. The incident occurred in two different series of actions: the first on 25 July 1983 when 35 Tamil prisoners were attacked and killed by Sinhalese inmates. The second massacre was two days later when Sinhalese inmates killed another 18 Tamil detainees and 3 prison deputies.There have been other Prison massacresas well, like The Bindunuwewa Prison Massacre, which took place on October 24, 2000, at a detention center of Bindunuwewa, Sri Lanka, resulting in the deaths of 26 minority Tamil political prisoners by a mob of majority people. The low-security detention center was established to house former LTTE cadres. Of the 26 killed, 2 were under the age of 21 and the rest were between 21 and 30. Another famous killing was The Kalutara Prison Riots, which occurred on December 12, 1997, at the high-security prison in Kalutara, Sri Lanka. Three minority Tamil political prisoners were killed by majority Sinhalese prisoners. No one has yet been convicted for these crimes. In addition to these, there have been so many unaccounted killings of Tamils in police custody. Will the truth ever be revealed, at least published as mentioned in this article, to bring closure and lay to rest the living hell that many of kith and kin of victims undergo throughout their daily lives.
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JD / August 9, 2019
LTTE killed not only Kuttimani, but also Mahatthaya and they tried Devananda over 10 times, Why the other stories are not discussed and only the contracts completed inside the Jail. How many women and men blew up by LTTE in order to get Devananda alone. How about Yahapalana govt WHITE JULY.
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JD / August 9, 2019
Sivasithamparan was LTTE and his son also got killed during a shoot out by LTTE with another faction. At that time, LTTE was eliminating other factions even though they were in India. I think, you know, even in Singapore, they tried it.
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Ana Pararajasingham / August 10, 2019
I need to correct you here. Sivasithamparam’s son Satyendra was a classmate of mine at school and died just two years ago of natural causes.
I have restrained from responding to postings by you which is rarely taken seriously.
My comment is really directed at CT asking that they include as part of their policy a clause ensuring that comments, however vulgar , vituperative are not outright lies. .
May I refer to Tarzie Vittachi in this context who emphasized in writing ‘Emergency 58’ that it was written on the basis that ‘comment is free, but facts are sacred’ quoting Manchester Guardian’s editor C P Scott.
I am all for CT’s policy of letting all opinions be published in its columns and commentary sections, but untruths?
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JD / August 10, 2019
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2
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Native Vedda / August 10, 2019
Ana Pararajasingham
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I got your point however one should note there isn’t much diverse opinion in this discussion forum. Most opinions cover three streams of racism, mostly anti Tamils, anti Muslims or anti Sinhalese.
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The problem with C P Scott’s quote is that it does not fit neatly in Sri Lankan context where people take it for granted “either you are with us or with enemies”.
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There a few elder commentersin this forum who form knowledge source, remain sane and consistently attempt to educate the readership with great difficulty.
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I must say sadly they are becoming endangered species.
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Peacelover / August 9, 2019
The submission made by Thangathurai at his trial in High Court Colombo on 24th February 1983 was a remarkable one that needs to be translated into Sinhala for the benefit of present day Sinhala youths to understand why Tamil youths engaged in an armed struggle. I quote a few lines from his submission here: ” what we ask for is not division but freedom. Why we ask this is not because of narrow thinking. What we hope to achieve is not only the emancipation of the Tamil people but also the greater good of the Sinhalese people themselves. Why? Because, thereafter, the so called Tamil problem will cease to be a livelihood for opportunist Sinhalese politicians. That will provide a chance for the Sinhalese people to free themselves from the political social and economic shackles that bind them today and realise where their true slavery lies. …………..You had not only not recognised our rights , but also for the purpose of clinging on to political seats of power you had been injecting into the poor innocent Sinhalese people hate and venom over the past thirty five years. That not all the Sinhalese people have fallen victims to your racist poison, has been proved by the fact that many of them during the times you had brought about race riots had time and again rescued Tamils from armed thugs and complete extermination………..”
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Peacelover / August 9, 2019
When Kuttimani was brought into Courts bear bodied, girls in the Courts looked at him and whispered gleefully ” ane arima lassanai ” . Such a well built handsome person he was. Karikalan, you overheard this in court room and mentioned in one of your articles. Can you remember?
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thamizh / August 10, 2019
Peacelover,
are you suggesting the Aryan Sinhala women were attracted to the dark skinned well built physique of a Dravidian Tamil man? is this jealousy the underlying cause of ethnic conflict?
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Uthungan / August 10, 2019
Thamiz
I don’t know about the veracity or not of an encounter which had taken place between SWRD Bandaranaike and SJV Chelvanayagam.
It was much before the former left the UNP.
The occasion was at a cocktail party when GG Lord Soulbury and Dudley Senanake and SWRD we’re together when SJV walked in in late, when SWRD happened to quip “hey Chelva you Tamils should be castrated for being late”.
SJV C immediately retorted “then a lot of your Sinhala women are going to be very unhappy”.
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Ramany K / August 11, 2019
Karikalan easily forgot so many things.
-It was Srisabaratnam who gave refuge to K in Chennai
-Forgot Amirthalingam
-Forgot what Kuttimani and Thangathurai said to K on whose information they were arrested
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Native Vedda / August 11, 2019
Ramany K
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“Forgot what Kuttimani and Thangathurai said to K on whose information they were arrested”
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Was the informer your Thesiath Thalaivar Thiruvengadam Vellupillai Prabaharan?
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Appuhami / August 9, 2019
Interrogations and imprisonments need to be conducted according to international law. However, even developed countries silently violate them from time to time. Sri Lanka has a long way to go. People who can vote in the next presidential election should vote for Nagananda.
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JD / August 10, 2019
I heard, what with all these, the LTTE rump says is, ” we Know every thing. But, give us also something”. Then our clients, those who gave us their gold jewellery, will be happy and we will be happy,
What happened to the case, that Army officer was trying to slit the throat of a LTTE member standing in front of the Sri lankan Embassy in Britain. There was a court case too.
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Nathan / August 10, 2019
Peacelover, you are pouring water on duck’s back. No point telling them the truth. They only relish lies and racism and not peace and truth. Sadly this is part of history since 800 CE enacted by Mahanama. No tamil ever was against sinhalese but they only wanted their legitimate rights based on truth and facts and not on mere wild majoritarianism and concocted non existent history. Archaeological department is there to hide the truth about Tamil history and to plant false sinhala history and the guys in their ignorance got confused between Sinhala and Buddhsim. Finding buddhist relics in N&E is a fact because there were obvious and undeniable existence of Tamil and Naga Buddhists at one time. The most mischievous attempt to mix up Buddhsim and Sinhala is the worst anyone could do to create all these chaos and hatred and violence. I have buddha’s statue at my home. Every time I go to Jaffna never fail to visit the Vihara at Nainathivu, that not only an ancient Buddhist shrine but of immense Hindu Buddhist history of utmost relevance. Ancient Tamil epics Manimegalai and Kundalakesi, two of the great Thamil Sangam literature, written by Tamil Buddhist / Jain scholar, refers to Nainathivu. In fact these great epics were written in the very early pat of the common era. Why cant these Sinhala people understand the truth and accept it as a fact? Please dont mix up sinhala with Buddhism. No Hindu or Tamil is against Buddhsim or even building buddhist temples in N&E but some of these guys dont do that for the sake of Religion but owing to their rabid sinhala racism and that is why it is objected and hated. The illiterate buddhsit monks are part of the curse. If they are educated and enlightened then their approach can be different. But alas, now we have missed the bus and the land is inundated with ignorant, racists without any understanding about Sinhala or Buddhism.
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Tamil Buddhist / August 11, 2019
Nathan
Do the two (Sinhala & Buddhist) must always be yoked together like Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee, or whether there could not possibly have been, even in a remote corner of the island, people who were Buddhist but not Sinhala or in the alternative, Sinhala though not Buddhist in the early period?
Unfortunately, 2500 years of Buddhism in Sri Lanka has not influenced any major changes in the Sinhala society in terms of attitude, character, behavior, morality, intelligence and so on. The Buddhist Monks in Sri Lanka are the most corrupt, most racist, and the most dangerous. Buddhist monks are supposed to have given up all the worldly things (Materialism) but in Sri Lanka, it’s a different story. The Buddhist Monks are Corrupt to the Core and the Buddhist lay people are transformed into fools to believe Buddha performed miracles like flying to Sri Lanka and stepped on Adam’s peak, about huge footprint, tooth, etc.
The Sinhala Buddhists are more interested in worshipping the Buddha statue, Bo-tree, and Buddha’s Dathu (relics/body parts) and feeding Dana (alms/free food) to the Sangha (Buddhist monks) rather than following the Dhamma what the Buddha preached.
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Kumarathasan Rasingam / August 10, 2019
There are numerous massacres and killings, rapes, torture committed by the Buddhist/Sinhalese Armed forces. The Mullivakkal massacre of 147,000 Tamils cannot be forgotten or forgiven by the Tamils all over the world. The curse, tears of the suppressed Tamils and God’s wrath will teach the culprits a bitter lesson, and it has now started to show signs: Economic bankruptcy/political bankruptcy, leadership bankruptcy, – Sri Lanka is leading towards a bankrupt state and a rouge state.
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edwin rodrigo / August 11, 2019
Thankfully, they do nor worship monkeys riding donkeys as Gods!
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Nathan / August 10, 2019
thamizh
Oh still you have doubt about Thamil Hating and phobia? It is pure and simple Morbid jealousy, Irisiyawa, an eternal curse. Of course it is super added with fear of the unknown, complex, lack of history and many more. But high time we have to convince them that their phobia and jealousy is only their weakness and Tamils need not be blamed for that. Sinhala text books, clergy, politicians, historians and archaeologists have further poisoned them and frightened them.
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Tamil Buddhist / August 11, 2019
Nathan
As per the island’s history, brutishness, bestiality, incest, patricide and profligacy, were the stuff of Sinhala origin. It is said that, in her dying moments, Kuveni cursed Vijaya and the entire Sinhala race stating that no ruler would ever be able to rule the island without bloodshed and strife.
Among the 194 rulers of Sri Lanka, 60 became king by murdering the predecessor, 53 became king by murdering a male sibling, 30 military men became king by murdering the reigning king, 5 became king by murdering their own father, 1 doorman became king by murdering the king, 1 queen killed her husband to take over the kingdom, 13 kings were killed in battle, and 11 kings were overthrown by their successors.
Furthermore, we are historically a country full of frauds, thugs, criminals, rouges, rowdies, drunkards, rapists, murderers and racists, barbarians masquerading as Buddhists.
On the other hand, the colonials identified the Sinhalese as foolish, lazy, violent, racist, hateful, jealous and mean spirited.
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Agnos / August 10, 2019
Mr. Navaratnam,
Thanks for the personal account of the Welikada massacre and its aftermath.
When I wasn’t yet a teenager, I recall seeing a ‘Karikalan’ speak at some TULF election meetings back in 1976/1977. I think it was you, and you recounted how in your travels by train within SL you saw Sinhalese calling some Tamils ‘Sakkili.’
I also recall your writing in The Sun newspaper ( owned by M.D. Gunasena?) , praising SJV for not pushing dynastic politics ( for not grooming his son as leader).
My wish is that the Tamil people should not merely commemorate and lament all the atrocities that the community had faced, but to compile lessons learned and chart a viable path forward.
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Native Vedda / August 10, 2019
Agnos
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“but to compile lessons learned and chart a viable path forward.”
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My Tamil friends tell me if you ask ten Tamils to sit down and discuss viable path forward whose first and foremost action is how to disagree with each other and kill the idea in the first place.
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Tee Twenty / August 10, 2019
NV: Good thought experiment. But recent history says that from those ten Tamils will emerge a thalaivar who will kill not just the idea, but the other nine Tamils!
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Agnos / August 11, 2019
NV, Tee Twenty,
I think a new political leadership can handle such disagreements. They should conduct surveys within Tamil communities on what the people really want.
Realistic use of Tamil language anywhere in SL, physical security, economic prosperity, etc.
Pragmatism vs ideological commitment? Secularism vs Religious nationalism ?.
How best to handle the Indian factor?
Almost every society grapples with such questions, but we need leaders who can take a realistic and strategic position on these issues and not let it paralyze renewal, progress and growth.
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Native Vedda / August 11, 2019
Agnos
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An inward looking society be it Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, …. cannot progress beyond what they have achieved in the past.
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They must train themselves to look beyond their nose. It is hard for them being receptive to change, learn, retrain ………….. They compete among themselves with large amount of pettiness, while missing many opportunities available to them.
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The world is a major arena, a huge market place.
If these primitive people do not get their act together, in a few years time they may have to put up a mini UN established on the soil of this island with their flags flying in respective pockets of the land, another Antarctica.
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In the meantime another destructive force is attempting to move and spread its tentacles from far North to Southern parts of India and beyond.
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KA / August 11, 2019
You geneocidal racist facist, get out of my home.
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Ramany K / August 10, 2019
Mr.Karikalan,
-You worked very closely with Mr.Amirthalingam,Mr.Yogeswaran et al and both of them were killed by the LTTE terrorists.Do you justify their killings? If not,why did you work hand in glove with the LTTE who killed A and Y? Have you ever condemned the Tigers openly for these killings?
Do you think that ,if the Sinhalese killing the Tamils is wrong ,and the Tigers killing the Tamils is right?
Would you disclose what Kuttimani and Thangathurai told you regarding their arrest? Who informed the police about K and T ,when they were waiting to go to India?
You also worked very closely with Mr.Srisabaratnam and he was also killed by the LTTE. Do you think S’s killing also can be justified,because ,” It is Tigers who killed S”?
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Native Vedda / August 11, 2019
Ramany K
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I am told Karikalan worked very hard to help the Tamil Leadership. According to my Tamil friends it was generally/widely expected then opposition leader in the parliament Amirthalingam would appoint Karikalan as his official secretary.
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As usual he/his party appointed an ineffective crony instead.
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What prevented Amirthalingam appointing Karikalan.
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Karikalan / August 10, 2019
Agnos:
Thank you for remembering.
Peacelover:
I remember. Thanks. – Karikalan
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Nathan / August 11, 2019
T Buddhist, one point, at the time of Kuveni and Vijayan there was no such thing as Sinhala in Lankapuri. But of course Kuveni’s curse is very true and it is still on. But anything called Sinhala is only after 800 CE. When Vijayan and his gang were deported it was around 450 BCE, the time of Buddha. But Buddhism brought by Mahinda, son of Asoka, is around 200 BCE. Besides Vijayan is a total myth, a hallucination of Mahanama in 500 CE , in an attempt to create a history for Nagas, yakkas and Veddas who by then partly embraced Buddhism. Only the arrival of Buddhism that subsequently made the difference. I only wish they had a true history in which case they would not have behaved like this overwhelmed by fear, phobia and complex.
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Silva / August 12, 2019
PGB, I am a Sinhalese too…I am assuming you are too. All I can say is, as much we loathed LTTE, the Tamil population did not want them. But it is the acts of such cowardliness on the part of our Governments, Prisons and the Army, who are pledged to protect the nation, be it whatever the race, whatever the religion, prisoner or the free that pushed the Tamils to go against the Sinhalese… who can blame them… the discrimination and differentiated treatment of the Tamils by our forefathers are shameful and as long as we, as Sinhalese don’t admit to our historical mistakes, accept the wrong doings and not repeat the same, it will only be a matter of time another snake head will rise worse than Prabakaran and we will only have ourselves to blame.
To the writer of this article and to those who were unjustifiably, wrongfully and horror-fully treated, murdered; on behalf of my race, I apologise…
I know there’ll be a lot of backlash towards me for this reply, I don’t care… because this is the bitter truth we have to accept. Now go to town…
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Karikalan / August 12, 2019
Ramany
I have never worked for/with the LTTE. Possibly, I may have provided legal services in Court to any of their activists held in custody.
My leader Mr. Amirthalingam and my friend V.Yogeswaran were killed by LTTE in July 1989. In the same month (I believe, on 23rd July), with the help of some friends, I organized a meeting – presided over by me – at St. Paul’s Church Hall in Toronto (Bloor & Spadina) to condemn the killings and to condole their deaths.
When all’s said and done, we cannot help but pay homage to the “boys and girls” for the supreme sacrifices they have made .
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Ramany K / August 15, 2019
Mr.Karikalan,
– Mr.Amirthalingam ,who was branded as a traitor and killed is a heinous crime committed by “thamby”(in your own words) Prapakaran. Other than the meeting in Canada in 1989, have you organized any other meetings for your leader? When you write articles like Welikade massacre,have you ever thought of writing any article condemning ‘’thamby p” for the brutal killing of Mr.Amirthalingam?
Can the assassination of Mr.Rajiv Ghandi also be construed as the supreme sacrifices of the “boys and girls”?
-Your current leader Sammanthan and others are enjoying honey moon with the UNP, which was in power during the Welikade masscre.Dont you think that it is incongruous to meet Sammanthans when you come to Srilanka?
-Don’t you attend the pro LTTE meetings in Canada?
May be in a hurry or confusion, you forgot to answer my following questions:
Do you think that ,if the Sinhalese killing the Tamils is wrong ,and the Tigers killing the Tamils is right?
Would you disclose what Kuttimani and Thangathurai told you regarding their arrest? Who informed the police about K and T ,when they were waiting to go to India?
You also worked very closely with Mr.Srisabaratnam and he was also killed by the LTTE. Do you think S’s killing also can be justified,because ,” It is the Tigers who killed S”?
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Nathan / August 13, 2019
LTTE leadership misled the innocent youth for his grandiose ideas, stubbornness and total lack of understanding of geo-political reality. VP while hiding in Vanni jungle thought that Vanni is the whole world and nothing beyond that. His vision was zero except his lob sided and arrogant determination without any rational or logical inputs permitted. He never understood what politics was and foolishly believed that guns and bombs and suicide cadres will win the war. He led a total suicidal mission alright while antagonising so many including India. He forced a terrorist label on himself. His foolishness finally led to sympathy on SL racist government by the west and even the neighbours. No one with brain could advise VP as they were considered as traitors. Same thing what Hitler did and finally ruined Germans. VPs strategy was entirely wrong and he never listened to anyone.He was surrounded by yes men and many treated him like an Avatar. LTTE was an inevitable birth in SL owing to extreme racism and disgraceful violence meted out to Tamils by Sinhalese and LTTE started well but ended up in a tragic failure because of the leadership blunders. Even marching towards Nanthikadal was a suicidal march and not a strategy. VP never knew that war is only an interim measure and peace or settlement could only come through political moves. Sadly VP lost his balance and judgement owing to his grandiose ideas and fantasy. Now there are thousands of handicapped tamils and there is no one to help them. The Tamil Diaspora who are to be blamed mostly for this mess now making a living by collecting funds in the name of war victims and filling their pockets. Some of these guys want continuous uncertainty in SL for them to hang on there in the west. Many tamils living abroad had been swindled by these crooks who are collecting money under bogus claims while playing a Tamil Sentiment card.
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Karikalan / August 13, 2019
Mr.Silva,
Thank you for the sober comments . Coming, as it does, from the South, it is a rarity.
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Nathan / August 13, 2019
Mr Silva, truth is always bitter but at least someone has to speak the truth. It is sad that still many do not understand our problem and their views are heavily biased. They refuse to understand what “cause and effect” is all about. Silence is worse than violence and hence someone has to speak. But in SL this has become the biggest weapon for political exploitation and hence keeping the people in dark is only beneficial to the crooked politicians. There are numerous Sinhalese who know the truth but are frightened to come out.
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NAK / August 14, 2019
My question is how come killing of 12 underworld drug dealer became more important and not the killing of some 60 odd political prisoners?
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