Mannar is one of the eight districts of the Northeast province. The mainoccupation of the Mannar people is fishing. The historical Hindu temple,Thiruketheeswaram, and the famous Catholic Madhu church are located in
this district. On 4 December 1984 the Sri Lankan military conducted anattack on the people of Nanaddan and Manthai areas in the district.On 04.12.1984, the military arrested a young manfrom Isaimalaithivu and were taking him to their
camp when the military vehicle came under alandmine attack. There were no serious damages.
The military went to its Thalladi military campand started to shell civilian areas from there.The military burnt 15 men alive who werepreviously arrested by them. The military alsoarrested 30 more people who were travelling onthe road in front of their camp and burnt themalive as well. People in the Mannar town wereable to observe the smoke arising from the 45
burning bodies.On the same day, the military from the Thalladi and Silavaththai militarycamps rounded up several residential areas. The military that left fromMannar travelled on the Mathawachchi road through the villages of,
Sirunavatkulam, Nochchikulam, Kallikkaddaikadu, Uyilankulam,Parapankandal, Uyirththarasankulam, Aththikkuli, Chemmanthivu,Murunkan and went up to the Madhu road. All along they attacked andburnt homes and offices and shot and killed people. Employees of theChemmanthivu Cooperative Society and the employees of the Murunkanpost office were killed in these atrocities. The military that left Silavaththaialso carried out atrocities along the way.
The military from the Thalladi camp after arriving at Madhu road stopped a bus full of passengers. They ordered everyone to get off the bus and all the passengers and the driver were shot dead. Two days after this the Bishop of Mannar and the Mannar Government Agent collected 90 bodies and took them to the Mannar hospital. More than 200 people were killed in this episode of violence by the military.
Available names of victims (name, occupation, age)
1. Anthoni Kurusuthasan, Farmer, 23
2. Alakaiya Kalimuththu, Farmer, 31
3. Muththuchchami Supramaniyam, Mechanic, 58
4. Mansan Sivanappan, Labourer, 34
5. Murukesu Navaratnam, Farmer, 54
6. Murukesu Sellamma, Home maker, 60
7. Manaval Alexs, Farmer, 52
8. Maiyilvakanam Jeyakkumar, Farmer, 32
9. Anthoni Sebamalai, Clerk, 48
10. Kentimariyathas Miyes, Farmer, 57
11. Anthoni Yokanatha, Student, 18
12. Anthoni Yokanathanmiral, Student, 18
13. Appuththurai Veerasingam, Mechanic, 40
14. Susaiyappu Inmanuvellembet, Farmer, 24
15. Imanuvel Susaiyappulembet, Labourer, 24
16. Ramaiya Kanthasami, Labourer, 50
17. Ramalingam Rakunathan, Audit, 40
18. Ramalingam Laxmanan, Labourer, 50
19. Mukamad Kaniva Sullththan, Labourer, 36
20. Kuppusami Sellaththurai, Audit, 55
21. ArulmalarJohnpappisd, Home maker, 28
22. K.T.Rajaradnam, Doctor, 67
23. Karuppaiya Achchuthan, Engineer, 34
24. Karuppaiya Perumal, Labourer, 60
25. Pilip Pilenthiran, Farmer, 56
26. Alpiratpol Noyalimmanu, Farmer, 45
27. Alpons Susainathankuru, Manager, 34
28. Andiarumukam Sunthararaj, Farmer, 45
29. Yakkovu Manuval, Farmer, 50
30. Pethuru Ariyaratnam, Postman, 42
31. Alakan Kalemuththu, Labourer, 65
32. Savariyan Santhiyekuparuna, Farmer, 32
33. Savariyan Santhiyekuparinanthu, Farmer, 33
34. Vallipuram Thiyakarasa Postmaster, , -40
35. Richchartkulas Thekkilayark, -, 48
36. Milasakipu Appulmajithu, Farmer, 43
37. Sinnaththampi Suppiramaniyam, Farmer, 51
38. Pusari Kanthasami, Labourer, 46
39. S Kathiraban Arumukam, Govt employee, 72
40. Santhiya Susainathan, Business, 36
41. Akkinimuththu Ramasami, Labourer, 34
42. Bransisavari Saram, Farmer, 54
43. Sebamalai Merikarmilarani, Home maker, 28
44. Loranspillai Baviluppillai, Farmer, 47
45. Santhiyappillai Mariyampillai, Farmer, 30
46. Saminathan Kannusami, Watcher, 28
47. Kappaneyina Najimutheen, Labourer, 32
48. Velu Banneerchchelvam, Business, 31
49. Ponnampalam, Business, 40
50. Arulanantham Thurairaja, Govt employee, 32
51. Ponnaiya Alakaiya, Farmer, 65
52. Pensameen Thavaratnam, Prison Guard, 45
53. Sellaiya Sanmukanathan, Nurse, 45
54. Velu Rajalingam, Labourer, 25
55. Seemanpillai Santhiyampillai, Farmer, 58
56. Velu Kanapathippillai, Farmer, 58
57. Pilenthiran Alpons, Farmer, 55
58. Veluppillai Kanapathippillai, Farmer, 58
59. Susai Neekkilas, Labourer, 38