Mathawachchi is located south ofVavuniya on the A9 road. The village
is populated mainly by Sinhala andMuslim people. Following the 1983pogrom against Tamils, Tamil
passengers travelling from Colomboto Jaffna have been attacked on
several occasions.One day in the first week ofSeptember 1984 a passenger bus which was going to Jaffna from Colombo
was stopped at Mathawachchi junction by the Sri Lankan military and thebus with the passengers were taken to Mannar road and there 15 civilians inthe bus were killed including the driver and 31 civilians were wounded.
