Navaly village is in the Jaffna district. St Peters church is a famous temple in Navaly. Following the military orders to the people to take refuge in public places thousands of people left their homes to take refuge in churches and temples. About 2500 people had thus taken refuge in St Peters Church.
On the 9th July 1995, eight rocket bombs were dropped on Navaly church and its surroundings. The church was crammed with people who had sought refuge when they realized the army was bombing their area. 155 bodies of civilians were recovered from the church and its surroundings and 250 people were injured. There is no doubt that the
SLAFs deliberately dropped a bomb at a place where there was a maximum density of people gathered, and the large crowd of people would have been noticeable from the air.
Vaithiyalingam Kamalanathan, lost his wife on that day. The incident as described by him is as follows:
That morning, from about 4am we were heard bombing sounds from the SLA during Operation Leap Forward. People from Chuliipuram had grabbed all their belongings and started moving along Navaly Road.
All of us, small, young, and old were helping and feeding these displaced people at St Peters church with food and drink. We did this all day. Since I did not go to the temple in the morning – I went at 4:30pm with my son through the paddy fields. At about 4:35pm we heard a very big bomb blast and saw clouds of smoke. We immediately knew something had happened at Navaly. When I ran back to my house, the road was filled with fallen trees and buildings. In my house my wife was bleeding from here [chest]. My daughter was injured in her head and hand. Blood was running.
I ran to the other houses nearby. One of my neighbour’s family was all lying dead. My elder son’s daughter was injured. My sister’s husband said that we could do no more for my sister. He said to go and look after my family. My wife died at the hospital asking me to look after our children.”
The Parish priest at that time says:
“It was Sunday morning. People were being displaced here as the Leap Forward Operation was taking place. People of this area welcomed them and were supplying them with food and drinks. I was at St Andrews church in Manipay when I heard that people were gathering in St Peters Church, Navaly. So I rushed over here. On my way here, I heard the bombers in the air. One of the bombers was lowering and, I ran and hid behind a wall. I saw this people being bombed. I ran here after the bombing and saw that people were scattered here and there – killed. 9 people were killed at this church. 121 people were killed all together.
The church was damaged. People were screaming and shouting. People who were taking shelter in this area were bombed. People are still saddened and worried about this. People hope that this situation will change and that peace will prevail in this country. Tamils and Sinhalese will remain together in this country as brother and sister.”
Available names of victims (name, occupation, age)
1. Varatharasa Krishnakumar, Infant, 1 ½
2. Lookkas Judmohanathas, Carpenter, 24
3. Kunaratnam Vithushan, Student, 07
4. Kunaratnam Rohini, House wife, 35
5. Suvaminathar Sivapathasubramaniam, Teacher, 50
6. Saravanamuthu Sivamani, Hindu Priest, 63
7. Saravanapavan Parashakthy, -, 27
8. Siththirapalu Nageswary, Seller, 44
9. Kunaratnam Piranavan, Student, 05
10. Sinnaiah Sarasvathy, -, 62
11. Jeyaseelan Kanistan, Student, 17
12. Siththirapalu Thaneswary, Student, 17
13. Siththirapalu Mahenthira, Carpenter, 25
14. Siththirapalu Jejapalini, Student, 14
15. Siththirapalu Jeyamathy, -, 27
16. Sivalingharasa Ranjini, Student, 11
17. Sivakumaran Surekka, Student, 12
18. Jegasoothy Rathymalar, Student, 17
19. Sinnaiah Yogamalar, Farmer, 39
20. Kandasamy Thevakulasingham, Worker, 36
21. Aanantharasa Yogeswary, -, 35
22. Murugesu Selvaratnam, Painter, 65
23. Arumugam Kunaratnam, Mechnic, 40
24. Maheswaran Thayalan, Worker, 20
25. Mahenthiran Mathukaran, Student, 17
26. Kamalanathan Saviththiri, -, 45
27. Kathiravelu Thurairasa, Farmer, 55
28. Kunaratnam Tharshini, Student, 14
29. Kanthan Gnanasegaram, Student, 17
30. Veerasingham Satkunarasa, Fisherman, 30
31. Kaaththan Kanthasamy, Toddy tapper, 43
32. Kanthasamy Ansalathevy, -, 36
33. Palasingham Uthayarasa, Carpenter, 23
34. Palasingham Sellamma, -, 33
35. Pilippillai Kapiriyelpillai, Grama Sevakar, 54
36. Pararasasingham Selvaratnam, Seller, 48
37. Punniyamoorthy Sayanthan, Student, 09
38. Kaneshalingham Kamalathevy, Account assistant, 45
39. Kandiah Nallaiah, Fisherman, 55
40. Sinnathamby Ratnasingham, Fisherman, 46
41. Vellautham Lalithathevy, -, 35
42. Thavachshelvy Karthigesu, Student, 12
43. Soosaithasan Mery sasikala, Student, 18
44. Firancis Kinsly, Clerk, 27
45. Pathmanathan Palayogini, -, 40
46. Pathmanathan Malarvili, Student, 13
47. Sakkariyal Jegatheepan Jeevathas, Student, 17
48. Pathmakumaran Komathy, House wife, 28
49. Selvaratnam Sivasubramaniam, -, 46
50. Nallaiah Neelavathy, House wife, 50
51. Kanagaratnam Subakaran, Student, 22
52. Thangarasa Thatsuthan, -, 63
53. Thamotharampillai Inpamalar, Student, 10
54. Sivasoothiraja Pirasanna, Student, 10
55. Jegasoothy Vimalathevy, Seller, 42
56. Nadarasa Kanatheepan, Student, 05
57. Kopalakrishnan Piratheepan, Student, 07
58. Kanthasamy Thenuga, Student, 12
59. Thommaipillai Jesuthasan, Seller, 21
60. Thevathas Nareskumar, Student, 11
61. Sellaiah Rasathurai, Fisherman, 35
62. Sellaiah Krishnaruban, Fisherman, 19
63. Thevathas Printhini, Student, 07
64. Kopalakrishnan Sayanthan, Student, 09
65. Veluppillai Nadeswaran, Student, 19
66. Kopalakrishnan Kapilrajah, Student, 07
67. Mathan Pararasasingham, Masan, 48
68. Kopalakrishnan Revathy, -, 36
69. Kopalakrishnan Vinoya, Infant, 05
70. Ponnar Uthayakumar, Fish seller, 35
71. Ponnar Nagamuthu, -, 75
72. Kopalakrishnan Mathyvathana, -, 22
73. Sinnathurai Nagaratnam, -, 60
74. Selvarasa Pirathees, -, 16
75. Nesarasa Thavarayani, -, 28
76. Sanmuganathan
77. Thampirasa Thuvaragathevy, Student, 20
78. Satheeskumar
79. Uthayakumar
80. Kopinath
81. Saththiyanathan
82. Sasikala
83. Yogeswary
84. Uthayakumar Satheeskumar, Student, 13
85. Jegatheepan
86. Uthayakumar Ushanthini, Student, 12
87. Thurairasa
88. S.Mageswary
89. A.Thanustala, Student, 08
90. P.Shanthan
91. N.Murugathas
92. N.Abirami
93. Pusparani
94. Nadarasa Ravi, Toddy tapper, 22
95. Antonipillai kurus Kumuthini, Student, 18
96. Mahenthiran Vasanthakumary, -, 25
97. Mayarasa Selvanayaki, House wife, 53
98. Rasathurai Mageswary, -, 34
99. Rasathurai Santhirakanthan, Student, 13
100. Rasathurai Sutha, Student, 09
101. Ramu Veerasingham, Fisheman, 43
102. Ithayashanthini, -, –
103. Nadesu Siththirapalu, Carpenter, 51
104. Thanaluxsumy, -, –
105. Nadesan Vijayakumar, Student, 18
106. Neekkilapillai Thiruchselvam, Governmen officer, 54
107. Niththiyanantham Annaluxsumy, -, 57
108. Nages Kopalakrishnan, Fisherman, 29
109. Kanagasabapathy Thavaluxsumy, Seller, 42
110. Kanagasingham Narayanasingham, Own worker, 50
111. Kanagaratnam Ushananthan, Worker, 20
112. Rasaratnam Anantharasa, Legithar, 34
113. Kurusamy Mageswary, Teacher, 54
114. Thevanayagam Manothiga, Student, 08
115. Sellathurai Rasamma, -, 56
116. Murugan Sarasu, -, 69
117. Kaneshavel Thevakaneshan, Student, 15
118. Rasakulasingham Rajahmohan, Student, 16
119. Navaratnam Jayatha, Student, 21
120. Tharmakulasingham Sujeepa, Student, 17
121. T.Kulasingham
122. Vaithilingham Jeyasingham, Govern.officer, 56
123. Thevanayagam Sailaya, Student, 13
124. Vairamuthu Sivarasa, Worker, 39
125. S.Kemalatha, Grama Sevakar, 27
126. S.Piratheepa, Student, 11
127. S.Ketheeswaran
128. Mayarasa Aananthapuvanan, Student, 16
129. Thavam Paskaran, Worker, 19
130. Siththirapalu Pirapakaran, Student, 21
131. Kanagaratnam Vasikaran, Student, 18
132. Kumarasamy Pathmanathan, Farmer, 24
133. Thambipillai Thiyagarasa, Cigar Industry, 54
134. T.Pusparani
135. N.Vasanthamalar
136. S.Thavarani
137. Arumugam Kanagalingham, Student, 40
138. Immanuvel Dusintha, Student, 14
139. Velu Ramalingham, Worker, 22
140. Subbaiah Thevanayagam, Worker, 47
141. Sriskantharasa Kopigan, Student, 13
142. Thevanayagam Thavapalasarasvathy, -, 45
143. Nagalingham Saravanamuthu, Farmer, 60
144. Nadarasa Sinnathurai, Farmer, 65
145. Jevarajah Piratheepan, Student, 13
146. Arumugam Kanagalingham, Seller, 40
147. Ravichsanthiran Thanushiya, Student, 08
148. Murugesu Ponnampalam, Carpenter, 47
149. Thevanayagam Lavanya, Student, 11
150. Vanniyasingham, -, –
151. Gnanaluxsumypalan Seevaratnam, Worker, 47