Saththurukondan is a village in Batticaloa district. Saththurukondan is not
very far from Batticaloa town. This village comprises Pannichaiaddy,Pillayarady and Oorani. On the 10.09.1990, military arrested several peopleand took them to the military camp. Among those arrested were 85 women
and many children. The arrested people were taken to the Sri Lanka armycamp at the Saththurukondan.There, the women were raped, andtheir breasts were cut off. 68children, among them five babies
were also tortured and murdered.205 people were killed in thismassacre.Only one man, 21 year oldKanthasamy Krishnakumarescaped being killed and informedthe others about what has happened.
At an inquiry into the massacre, the Officer in Charge of the camp, Captain
Gamini Varnakula Sooriya said “On that day no search or arrest was
conducted by us.” He also reiterated that none of his men even ventured outof the camp on the day of the massacre. The military also threatened andforced the President of Citizens Committee, Arunakirinathan, to sign an
affidavit saying no such incident took place. Arunakirinathan resigned from
his pots following this forced affidavit. Mrs. SS lost 35 blood relations,almost her entire family. Her account of the massacre is as follows,“On a Sunday evening, the army and the Muslim
thugs rounded up our village and took thirty-fivepeople including three handicapped teenagers. The
Muslim thugs started assaulting the people.On the previous day, some of our people knew that
the army was going to round up Pannichaiaddyand Pillayarady. In order to escape from this
round up, many people went to Kuddiyiruppu.Then the soldiers took 10 people from
Kuddiyiruppu. They brought everyone nearPillayarady. There were about 185 people. Theytook everyone to a covered area in Vincent Depot.
Then we couldn’t see anything. But we heard people shouting and screaming with firing in between. After a few minutes we saw the flames blazing. Bodies were burning till the morning. They had shot and hacked 184 people to death. Those who were taken on a pretext that they would be released after an inquiry were in flames.
For a few days, no-one was allowed to go near the depot. After a week, we went to the army camp and enquired about the whereabouts of the members of our family. They said that they never came to our village and they never took anyone. What else can we do other than ask the army? There is no guarantee that this will not happen again. So I decided to move to Karadiyanaru for my safety.
There is only one survivor – Kanthasamy Krishnakumar. He saw everyone being cut with big knives and thrown into the fire. When he was cut with a knife by a soldier, he fell down and pretended to have died. But before he was thrown into the fire, he got up and ran away. They couldn’t catch him.”
Available names of victims (name, occupation, age)
1. R.Nagamma, -, 26
2. R.Theepa, -, 10
3. R.Jegatheesan, -, 10
4. R.Nagamma, House wife, 26
5. J.Kumuthiny, -, 12
6. J.Nesamma, -, 25
7. J.Thevarasi, -, 27
8. J.Santhiriya, -, 19
9. J.Seeniththamby, -, 70
10. J.Vanitha, -, 12
11. E.Jeevanathan, -, 30
12. U.Kalimuthu, -, 55
13. U.Mariamuthu, House wife, 33
14. U.Kopickannan, -, 12
15. Umaithamby, -, 70
16. Nallaiah Ramachchandran, Own work, 44
17. K.Nallaiah, Own work, 72
18. K.Sureshkaran, -, 11
19. Kanthan Ilayathamby, -, 55
20. Kamala, -, 09
21. Kanapathipillai Thangamuthu, Own work, 46
22. P.Kanthasamy, -, 29
23. P.Kamalanthan, -, 09
24. P.Kavitha, -, 12
25. P.Thamenthiny, -, 04
26. P.Archchimuthu, -, 76
27. P.Ponnamma, -, 70
28. P.Santhanam, -, 37
29. P.Sriluxsumy, -, 18
30. P.Vinothiny, -, 12
31. P.Vasanthy, -, 23
32. Pirapa, -, 02
33. T.Dilani, -, 05
34. T.Nanthiny, -, 16
35. T.Nathan, -, 12
36. T.Nageswary, -, 37
37. T.Nitharshini, -, 12
38. T.Kugan, -, 10
39. T.Kirubakaran, -, 03
40. T.Kanmani, -, 32
41. T.Kannan, -, 25
42. T.Kanapathipillai, -, 50
43. T.Poopalapillai, -, 65
44. T.Paramsoothy, -, 37
45. T.Piratheepan, -, 05
46. T.Thillaiyamma, -, 63
47. T.Mahaluxsumy, -, 31
48. T.Malai, -, 55
49. T.Jeyackanthan, -, 10
50. T.Jegan, -, 09
51. T.Mohanasuntharam, -, 27
52. T.Selva, -, 07
53. T.Sri, -, 28
54. T.Vijayakumar (Kumaran), -, 08
55. T.Vijayaluxsumy, -, 29
56. T.Vasanthy, -, 01
57. T.Rasenthiran, -, 04
58. I.Murugan, -, 65
59. V.Thangamma, -, 38
60. Vairamuthu Atputhavadivel, Own work, 46
61. T.Kanapathipillai, -, 50
62. Thambipillai, -, 72
63. Thambiiya Kirubairatnam, Own work, 50
64. M.Selvanayagam, -, 55
65. M.Ramaiya, -, 70
66. R.Kamalrajah, -, 11
67. R.Nesamma, -, 62
68. R.Suthakaran, -, 10
69. R.Viji, -, 08
70. R.Vasanthy, -, 15
71. Alagaiah Navaretnam, House wife, 16
72. Alagaiah Manchsula, House wife, 14
73. Alagaiah Sowthirarajan, Student, 12
74. J.Vijayaluxsumy, -, 10
75. J.Ramani, -, 02
76. Jothyvadivel, -, 06
77. K.Mooththathamby, -, 79
78. K.Ilayathamby, -, 55
79. K.Eelan, -, 15
80. K.Nagaratnam, -, 40
81. K.Nallaiah, -, 72
82. K.Nallamma, -, 66
83. K.Karikaran, -, 08
84. K.Kathirgamathamby, -, 75
85. K.Kathirgamathamy, -, 68
86. K.Kumutha, -, 23
87. K.Kamalan, -, 06
88. K.Keetha, -, 12
89. K.Krishnapillai, -, 14
90. K.Kannan, -, 10
91. K.Packiyam, -, 46
92. K.Tharani, -, 04
93. K.Thambaiah, -, 65
94. K.Thangamma, House wife, 75
95. K.Thangavel, -, 26
96. K.Arasamma, -, 60
97. K.Nesamma, -, 48
98. K.Sathes, -, 04
99. K.Siyamala, -, 13
100. K.Sinnamuthu, -, 66
101. K.Sivatharsan, -, 05
102. K.Savuntharam, -, 38
103. K.Vimala, -, 02
104. K.Vasikala, Child, 13
105. K.Rasaththy, Child, 12
106. K.Rameshkaran, Child, 07
107. Periyathamby, Own work, 75
108. Thevy, -, 32
109. Sebastiyan Selvanayagam, Labour, 45
110. Venurajah, -, 25
111. Lexsumy, Own work, 48
112. G.Sowntharanayagam, -, 26
113. Santhimathy, Own work, 20
114. Samiththamby Alagaiah, Labour, 34
115. Sinnaththamby Veluppillai, Own work, 68
116. Seeni Kopal, -, 57
117. Siththirathevy, -, 29
118. Sivatharshini, Child, 04
119. V.Nallaiah, -, 27
120. V.Poomani, -, 45
121. V.Jothyvadivel, Student, 06
122. V.Sarmila, Student, 08
123. V.Luxsumy, -, 48
124. Ratnaraja Rukthy, -, 06
125. A.Jeeva, -, 15
126. A.Umaithamby, -, 70
127. A.Navaratnam, -, 45
128. A.Manchsula, -, 18
129. A.Aththappillai, -, 72
130. A.Alagaiah, Child, 10
131. A.Arul, Child, 09
132. A.Ponnuththurai, -, 62
133. A.Sutha, -, 09
134. A.Seeththa, -, 18
135. S.Indrani, Child, 10
136. S.Jeevamalar, -, 25
137. S.Nagathesi, Child, 12
138. S.Nirmala, Child, 13
139. S.Nallaiah, -, 45
140. S.Kanthasamy, -, 29
141. S.Kasipathiyar, -, 60
142. S.Kajenthiny, Baby, 02
143. S.Kavitha, Child, 09
144. S.Kunaratnam, -, 33
145. S.Palippdy, -, 62
146. S.Priya, Baby, 03 months
147. S.Punniyamoorthy, Child, 13
148. S.Thangamma, -, 57
149. S.Thangeswary, -, 24
150. S.Thavakuneswaran, -, 25
151. S.Maheswary, -, 28
152. S.Malar, Child, 09
153. S.Alagaiah, -, 50
154. S.Yogarasa, -, 14
155. S.Nesam, -, 52
156. S.Ponnampalam, -, 55
157. S.Ponnamma, -, 24
158. S.Theivanai, -, 45
159. S.Selvarasa, -, 31
160. S.Gnaneswary, -, 38
161. S.Sapapathipillai, -, 70
162. S.Suresh, -, 02
163. S.Saroshathevy, -, 28
164. S.Sinnappillai, -, 35
165. S.Sinnaththamby, -, 27
166. S.Sivaratnam, -, 12
167. S.Vadivel, -, 65
168. S.Vijayan, Baby, 01
169. S.Vinotharan, Baby, 05
170. S.Vallippillai, -, 75
171. S.Rasalingham, -, 58
172. S.Raveenthiran, -, 21
173. A.Nagaretnam, Own worker, 45
174. A.Sutha, Student, 09
175. N.Rasamma, -, 70
176. N.Kumuthiny, -, 18
177. N.Packiyam, -, 66
178. N.Palaththai, -, 70
179. N.Prema, -, 18
180. N.Piratheepan, -, 05
181. N.Tharshini, -, 06
182. N.Theepan, -, 09
183. N.Jegan, -, 12
184. N.Sornamma, -, 44
185. N.Venuthas, Infant, 03 months
186. N.Venurajah, Infant, 04 months
187. V.Gnanaratnam, -, 32
188. N.Siththirathevy, -, 22
189. N.Sivatharsan
190. M.Packiyam, House wife, 53
191. M.Parameswary, -, 32
192. M.Sailaya, Baby, 07
193. M.Vairamuthu, -, 55
194. M.Thulashi, Baby, 04
195. M.Periyathamby, -, 75
196. M.Thevagi, -, 25
197. M.Suposhini, Baby, 12
198. M.Sivagnanam, -, 35
199. M.Vijayan, -, 19
200. M.Rasa, -, 24