Army suspected over Puthur civilian killings
April 20th, 2006
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
The Sri Lankan army is suspected by residents of Puthur in Jaffna of being responsible for the deaths of five Tamil civilians from the area. Though the Sri Lankan army has denied responsibility and says the Police suspect it to be a “reprisal” by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the people of the area strongly believe that the army was responsible. The five victims were from Vaatharavathai in Puthur East.
Five persons were travelling in an auto – rickshaw (WP QA 0767) along the Vaatharavathai road between Puthur junction and Kanakanpuliaddy junction at about 8. pm on Tuesday April 18th.The driver and another were in the front and the other three in the back. They were stopped at the checkpost opposite the army camp at the Aiyanar Kovil.Soldiers from the 1st brigade of the 51st division (51 – 1) are stationed in this camp.
The occupants had imbibed liquor. When they were questioned they had said that one among them was sick and that they had taken him to a doctor and were now taking him back to his residence.After checking their credentials the sentries had let them pass.
The vehicle had proceeded to the house of one of the occupants who was reportedly sick.. Some more liquor was consuned. The other four had then returned in the same auto -rickshaw past the same Aiyanar Kovil 51-1 army camp.
The vehicle was stopped again. When the sentries tried to search the vehicle and the occupants an argument ensued.Presumably the hot drinks had given the civilians courage to defy and argue with the army. A passer- by on a cycle had stopped and tried to calm matters down with the three – wheeler occupants. They were all from the same area and known to each other.
The soldiers got angry and took all five persons into the army camp. The auto – rickshaw and cycle were moved through the gate and parked inside. That was the last any of the five were seen alive.The time was around 8. 30 pm
The four occupants of the three – wheeler were Balasubramaniam Kannathasan (27), Sellappu Kamalathasan (25), Mahadevan Kishokumar( 20), and Thangarajah Raveendran (27). Kannathasan was the auto – riockshaw driver. Another of the occupants Raveendran was also an auto – rickshaw driver. Kishorekumar was a photographer cum farmer. Kamalathasan was an electrician.The cyclist was Kandasamy Gowribalan ( 32), a Jaffna Municipal Council employee.
Relatives worried by the absence of the “missing” persons had gone in search of them.Upon being informed by some residents that some persons were arrested by the army they had inquired from the sentries about the trishaw. The army denied taking in any persons. Neither the three – wheeler nor the cycle was seen. The time was now past ten o’clock in the night.
During the dark hour before dawn people of the area think they heard faint gunfire coming from the direction of the army camp.But they are not sure. People had begum moving about near the army camp after the crack of dawn. There was a large open terrain in close proximity to the camp. These areas are called ” veli” or “tharavai” in Tamil.
People saw a parked trishaw on the road near the “tharavai” terrain. A cycle was on the ground nearby. They saw bodies lying at a distance. Complaints were made immediately to the Army by the brother of an auto – rickshaw driver. The Police at Atchuvely were also informed.
An official search was conducted. Three bodies were discovered about 200 metres away from the road. Two other bodies were found another 100 – 25 metres away. The victims were identified by relatives as Gowribalan, Kannathasan, Kamalathasan, Raveendran, and Kishorekumar.
According to a Northern Journalist the victims allegedly bore signs of heavy assault before deaths. The bodies and faces were swollen and marked. It appeared that some had been shot at close quarters and others from a distance using sub.machine guns.
[SLMM at the scene - Photo TamilNet]
Mallakam district judge Mrs. Sarojini Ilankovan went to the spot at 9. 30 am on Wednesday April 19th and conducted the preliminary inquest. She ordered the bodies to be taken to Jaffna hospital for post – mortem examination. Ms. Ilankovan also instructed the Police to commence a full investigation.The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission was also informed.
As news of the killings spread angry residents of the area converged outside the army camp and demonstrated.The people of Vaatharavathai seemed certain that the army was responsible for the killings. When this writer spoke to a few on the telephone they too charged that the army was responsible.
There has been a history of “trouble” between the army camp and residents of the area. Last year there were complaints of rape by soldiers attached to this camp. This resulted in protests leading to violence where the army fired and killed a civilian. This resulted in claymore mines being exploded targeting the army by members of the so called “Peoples Force”.
LTTE and pro – LTTE media have begum a campaign accusing the army of being responsible for the killings. The army has rejected this. A counter – claim is made in the army website says that ” The Police maintain that the murder would have been carried out by the LTTE as a retaliatory measure”.
This is rather puzzling because it is unclear as to what is meant by saying that the LTTE killed these men as a retaliatory measure. The reasons for such alleged tiger action is also not given. Interestingly the Police at Atchuvely have no clue of what the army means by this statement.
According to a Colombo – based journalist his army sources had “denied” responsibility for the killings. One source had told him that the army had never taken in the five persons. Another army source had said the five were questioned and released at 9. 50 pm on the 18th.The seemingly implausible assertion was that someone else had killed them
The cops are” investigating” as usual.Only the army can clarify the matter. Incidently it was the same army website which said the LTTE killed TNA parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham at the St. Marys Cathedral in Batticaloa last year.
There have been 17 civilian killings in Jaffna during the past week. There was a visible pattern in many. The victims were all close supporters or suspected of being linked to the LTTE in some way. In the case of businessmen being killed they were asked to pay up or face death. Those who refused are being killed.
In the Puthur killings there does not seem to be any pre – meditated plan to kill these five persons. The limited circumstantial evidence available points to some soldiers at the Aiyanar Kovil camp. Incidently the Aiyanar is a wrathful deity. It is probable that the men were detained at first to be given a sound beating but later some people may have decided to bump them off.
At least three of the five had actively participated in the previous protest demonstrations against the army at Puthur and had been photographed and videoed. Also the five persons had also attended LTTE functions in the area earlier say Vaatharavathai residents.
It is possible therefore that the “troublemakers” were “recognised’ as anti – army, pro – tiger people and “taught” a lesson. Since some Tamil “paramilitaries” are stationed in this camp they themselves could have taken the unarmed civilians out and killed them.
All this however is conjecture and the only hard, indisputable fact is that five dead bodies with firearm injuries were lying in proximity to the 51- 1 Aiyanar Kovil camp. The customary recommendation that one makes at this juncture is to urge a speedy investigation with the underlying hope that those responsible are caught and brought to justice.
But then this is not the only killing. Civilians are being killed in the North – East regularly and rapidly. As Hobbes said Life is “nasty.brutish and short”. We hear of investigations and commissions of inquiry but nothing tangible happens. Justice they say not only should be done but also should appear to have been done.
But in North – Eastern Lanka Justice is neither done nor appears to have been done. So after all the tensions and protests and charges and denials and accusations and counter – accusations we will find nothing being dome about these killings and the innumerable other deaths.
The Vaatharavathai five will simply be another statistic to the rising toll of deaths. May their souls attain sublime affinity with the supreme divinity or be re – born in any ethnicity other than Sri Lankan Tamil!
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Contact DBS Jeyaraj : djeyaraj2005@yahoo.com
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