1991 Kokkadichcholai massacre
Kokkadichcholai massacre | |
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Sri Lankan Army |
On June 12, 1991, 152 minority
Background information
1991 massacre
On the 12 June 1991 following a
The incident
Kokkadicholai is in reality a collection of number of hamlets close to the
Most able men and some women were able to get away but a group of individuals who could not get away took refuge at a rice processing mill belonging to a one Kurukulasingam. It was estimated that over a hundred people were in this house. It was reported by survivors that a group of soldiers from Kokkadichcholai entered the mill premises and opened fire. Many inside the mill were killed and those in the adjoining house injured. Once the soldiers left survivors and onlookers went to the mill to inspect the status of the dead. It was estimated that about 35 people were looking around the premises when another group of another six soldiers thrust the onlookers into the premises and shot them along with the five previously injured. The soldiers then attempted to set fire to the corpses. Amongst the dead were old people, women and children. Later on 17 youngsters were taken from a nearby hamlet called Mudalaikudah to the crater caused by the explosion and killed and their bodies burnt. Number of properties were also burnt as well as property looted. As the army stayed within the camp on the 13th, amongst the early visitors to the massacre site were the rebel LTTE group who took photographic records of the corpses. (see images here). As the sun rose, the corpses began to decompose and stink. At about 2.00 p.m. the villagers buried most of the corpses.[5][8]
Government reaction
On June 16 an official party including the
Casualty estimates and rape accusations
According to UTHR, the number of victims according to leading local citizens following a house to house check, 67 bodies were identified and buried and a further 56 were missing (a total of 123). Most of the missing persons are presumed dead and cannot be identified, because like the seventeen burnt in the mine crater, they had been mostly burnt to ashes. The rice mill had the largest number of bodies – 43, although the police (with a history of minimising evidence) maintained that only 32 were killed.[5] The locals also reported that at least six women (including two sisters) were raped, and despite the police denials, this was confirmed privately by medical officials.[5]
Government investigation
After international community began to put more pressure on Sri Lanka for its human rights record, the government instituted an independent Commission of Inquiry into a massacre by soldiers at Kokkadichcholai in the east in June 1991 – the first inquiry of its kind ever held in Sri Lanka.[3]
According to
The independent commission instituted to look into the Kokkadichcholai incident recommended that compensation of some 5.25 million rupees (approximately CDN$210,000) to be paid to next of kin of those who were killed (67 were identified) and to people who lost property in the rampage. The commission also recommends prosecution of the soldiers involved.[9] In 2001 the army accepted responsibility for the large scale massacre at the hamlet of Kokkadicholai.[10] A military tribunal found the commanding officer guilty of failure to control his troops and illegal disposal of the bodies, and he was dismissed from service. The other 19 soldiers under trial were acquitted but nevertheless sent to the front lines in the north of the country as a punishment. A number of organizations have expressed regret over this decision[2][4][6][11]
See also
References
- S2CID 154770852.
- ^ a b "SRI LANKA:When will justice be done?". Amnesty International. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-07-14. Retrieved 2007-07-19.
- ^ ISBN 978-90-6463-095-8.
- ^ a b c "2002 HRW report- Sri Lanka". HRW. Archived from the original on 14 February 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hoole, Rajan (2002-05-14). "Kokkadichcholai massacre and after". University Teachers for Human Rights. Archived from the original on 2015-07-14. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
- ^ a b Pinto - Jayawardena, Kishali (1998-07-18). "Recognizing some valuable lessons:The Krishanthi case in retrospect". Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 2010-10-20. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
- ^ Fernando, Basil (2002-08-30). "Graveyard for Disappeared Persons – Statistic for Batticaloa district". Asian Human Rights Commission. Retrieved 2002-07-18. [dead link]
- ^ Trawick, Prof. Margaret (1999). "Lessons from Kokkodaicholai". Proceedings of Tamil Nationhood & Search for Peace in Sri Lanka. Carleton University. pp. 1–10.
- UNHCHR. 2007-07-18. Archivedfrom the original on 2007-07-15. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
- ^ "RSF's Impunity black list: Sri Lanka". Reporters Without Borders. 2002-08-30. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
- ^ Abeysekera, Charles (1993-01-01). "Human Rights 1992– A Dismal Record". Social Scientist's Association. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-07-18.