Eastern University Massacre
Mass Murder of Refugees
CLASSIFICATION: Mass Murder
LOCATION
Batticaloa, Sri Lanka
TIME PERIOD
September 5, 1990
VICTIMS
158 confirmed
On September 5, 1990, the Sri Lankan Army conducted a mass murder of 158 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees at Eastern University, located in Vathharoomulai near Batticaloa, during a military operation following the collapse of peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The refugees had sought shelter on the university campus, where they were protected by faculty members who raised a white flag to signal their non-combatant status. Eyewitness accounts and reports from the University Teachers for Human Rights (UTHR) identified the Sri Lankan Army as the perpetrators, who engaged in indiscriminate shooting and subsequent burial of victims' bodies using a bulldozer. A presidential commission of inquiry later confirmed evidence of illegal abductions and mass murder, naming responsible parties; however, there has been no judicial follow-up or accountability for the incident.
The Sri Lankan Army is widely believed to be responsible for the Eastern University massacre, with witnesses identifying military personnel as the perpetrators. There is speculation that the massacre was part of a broader campaign against Sri Lankan Tamils during a period of heightened conflict, known as Black September. Despite a presidential commission of inquiry that confirmed illegal abductions and mass murder, there has been no judicial follow-up or accountability for those named as responsible.
The Eastern University Massacre: A Tragic Chapter in Sri Lanka's History
In the midst of Sri Lanka's turbulent civil conflict, a grim episode unfolded on September 5, 1990, near the city of Batticaloa. This haunting event, known as the Eastern University Massacre, saw the brutal arrest and massacre of 158 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees by the Sri Lankan Army. The tragedy took place on the campus of Eastern University, a supposed safe haven that became the setting for an unspeakable atrocity. This event forms a part of what has come to be known among Sri Lankan Tamils as Black September, a dark series of civilian massacres that have left deep scars in the nation's history.
Background: A War-Torn Land
The events leading to the massacre were set against a backdrop of escalating violence. In 1990, peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) collapsed, prompting the Sri Lankan military to intensify operations against rebel-held territories in the Eastern Province, primarily the Batticaloa District. This period was marred by numerous civilian massacres and disappearances attributed to the LTTE, Sri Lankan government forces, and allied paramilitary groups like the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) and People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE).
The Incident: A Campus Under Siege
As the Sri Lankan Army, based in Valaichchenai, embarked on a search and destroy mission in the villages of Vantharumoolai, Sungankerny, and Karuvakkerny, fear-stricken villagers sought refuge at the Eastern University campus. There, lecturers hoisted a white flag, hoping to signal neutrality. However, their hopes were dashed when the army, undeterred by the flag, stormed the campus. Witnesses, including those from the University Teachers for Human Rights (UTHR), recounted horrific scenes: soldiers indiscriminately shooting and hacking villagers to death. With a bulldozer in tow, they swiftly buried the bodies.
One chilling eyewitness account detailed the chaos: "In seven days, the (Eastern University) campus was full of fifty-five thousand - 55,000 - refugees. On the eighth day, the army walked into the campus ignoring our white flag... Two empty buses came to the campus. The soldiers ordered the people to come in a line... they selected one hundred and thirty-eight (138) youths... All were ordered to get into two buses. Parents and family members pleaded and screamed, but they were taken to an unknown destination." The number of those taken would later be revised to 158.
The witness, later detained and released after nine harrowing days, personally observed the murder of detainees during his confinement.
The Aftermath: Dispersal and Disappearance
Following the initial arrests, the army detained 16 more individuals the next day. The LTTE, in response, instructed authorities to close the refugee camp, urging civilians to seek refuge in nearby jungles. This desperate move scattered the refugees, many of whom faced aerial bombardments by the Sri Lankan Air Force. Those who survived eventually returned to their devastated villages.
Government Investigation: A Search for Truth
In a bid to uncover the truth, President Chandrika Kumaratunga established a three-member Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Disappearances of Persons in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Chaired by Justice Krishnapillai Palakidner, with L.W.R.R. Widyaratne and W.N. Wilson as commissioners, the inquiry began on November 30, 1994. The commission's final report, released in September 1997, identified the arrests from the Eastern University camp as the largest in the district, with 158 people detained on September 5 and 16 more on September 24.
The commission heard testimonies from 83 witnesses about the disappearance of 92 individuals from the original 158 reported missing. Evidence showed that as many as 45,000 people had sought refuge at the university since July 1990. On the day of the massacre, soldiers arrived in a government bus, using loudspeakers to organize refugees into age-based queues. Masked individuals, assisted by soldiers and Muslim collaborators, identified and separated 158 people, who were then taken away despite protests.
Crucially, the commission revealed that Captains Munas, Palitha, Gunarathna, and Majors Majeed and Monan directed the operations. Notably, some of these names were aliases. Further, Gerry de Silva, a military officer, reportedly visited the camp on September 8, claiming that all 158 detainees were found guilty, yet he refrained from disclosing their fate.
A letter from Air Chief Marshal A.W. Fernando to Peace Committee Chairman Mr. Thalayasingam later claimed that only 32 people were detained and released within 24 hours. However, none of the detained individuals returned home, deepening the mystery of their whereabouts.
A Day of Remembrance
The Eastern University Massacre and related civilian killings are commemorated annually in Batticaloa, serving as a somber reminder of the brutality inflicted upon innocent civilians during Sri Lanka's civil war.
See Also
- List of attacks on civilians attributed to Sri Lankan government forces
Sources
For further information, please visit the Wikipedia article on the Eastern University Massacre.
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Eastern University Massacre
Sri Lankan Army arrests and murders 158 Tamil refugees at Eastern University.
Additional Arrests
Sri Lankan Army arrests 16 more individuals from the Eastern University refugee camp.
Commission Established
President appoints a commission to investigate involuntary disappearances in Northern and Eastern Provinces.
Commission Report Released
The Presidential Commission releases its final report detailing the arrests and disappearances.
Black September Begins
A series of civilian massacres in Sri Lanka, including the Eastern University massacre, begins.
Witness Testimonies
Witnesses testify about the events and the involvement of the Sri Lankan Army in the massacres.
Annual Remembrance Established
The massacre becomes an annual event of remembrance in Batticaloa.
On September 5, 1990, the Sri Lankan Army conducted a mass murder of 158 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees at Eastern University, located in Vathharoomulai near Batticaloa, during a military operation following the collapse of peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The refugees had sought shelter on the university campus, where they were protected by faculty members who raised a white flag to signal their non-combatant status. Eyewitness accounts and reports from the University Teachers for Human Rights (UTHR) identified the Sri Lankan Army as the perpetrators, who engaged in indiscriminate shooting and subsequent burial of victims' bodies using a bulldozer. A presidential commission of inquiry later confirmed evidence of illegal abductions and mass murder, naming responsible parties; however, there has been no judicial follow-up or accountability for the incident.
The Sri Lankan Army is widely believed to be responsible for the Eastern University massacre, with witnesses identifying military personnel as the perpetrators. There is speculation that the massacre was part of a broader campaign against Sri Lankan Tamils during a period of heightened conflict, known as Black September. Despite a presidential commission of inquiry that confirmed illegal abductions and mass murder, there has been no judicial follow-up or accountability for those named as responsible.
The Eastern University Massacre: A Tragic Chapter in Sri Lanka's History
In the midst of Sri Lanka's turbulent civil conflict, a grim episode unfolded on September 5, 1990, near the city of Batticaloa. This haunting event, known as the Eastern University Massacre, saw the brutal arrest and massacre of 158 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees by the Sri Lankan Army. The tragedy took place on the campus of Eastern University, a supposed safe haven that became the setting for an unspeakable atrocity. This event forms a part of what has come to be known among Sri Lankan Tamils as Black September, a dark series of civilian massacres that have left deep scars in the nation's history.
Background: A War-Torn Land
The events leading to the massacre were set against a backdrop of escalating violence. In 1990, peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) collapsed, prompting the Sri Lankan military to intensify operations against rebel-held territories in the Eastern Province, primarily the Batticaloa District. This period was marred by numerous civilian massacres and disappearances attributed to the LTTE, Sri Lankan government forces, and allied paramilitary groups like the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) and People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE).
The Incident: A Campus Under Siege
As the Sri Lankan Army, based in Valaichchenai, embarked on a search and destroy mission in the villages of Vantharumoolai, Sungankerny, and Karuvakkerny, fear-stricken villagers sought refuge at the Eastern University campus. There, lecturers hoisted a white flag, hoping to signal neutrality. However, their hopes were dashed when the army, undeterred by the flag, stormed the campus. Witnesses, including those from the University Teachers for Human Rights (UTHR), recounted horrific scenes: soldiers indiscriminately shooting and hacking villagers to death. With a bulldozer in tow, they swiftly buried the bodies.
One chilling eyewitness account detailed the chaos: "In seven days, the (Eastern University) campus was full of fifty-five thousand - 55,000 - refugees. On the eighth day, the army walked into the campus ignoring our white flag... Two empty buses came to the campus. The soldiers ordered the people to come in a line... they selected one hundred and thirty-eight (138) youths... All were ordered to get into two buses. Parents and family members pleaded and screamed, but they were taken to an unknown destination." The number of those taken would later be revised to 158.
The witness, later detained and released after nine harrowing days, personally observed the murder of detainees during his confinement.
The Aftermath: Dispersal and Disappearance
Following the initial arrests, the army detained 16 more individuals the next day. The LTTE, in response, instructed authorities to close the refugee camp, urging civilians to seek refuge in nearby jungles. This desperate move scattered the refugees, many of whom faced aerial bombardments by the Sri Lankan Air Force. Those who survived eventually returned to their devastated villages.
Government Investigation: A Search for Truth
In a bid to uncover the truth, President Chandrika Kumaratunga established a three-member Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Disappearances of Persons in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Chaired by Justice Krishnapillai Palakidner, with L.W.R.R. Widyaratne and W.N. Wilson as commissioners, the inquiry began on November 30, 1994. The commission's final report, released in September 1997, identified the arrests from the Eastern University camp as the largest in the district, with 158 people detained on September 5 and 16 more on September 24.
The commission heard testimonies from 83 witnesses about the disappearance of 92 individuals from the original 158 reported missing. Evidence showed that as many as 45,000 people had sought refuge at the university since July 1990. On the day of the massacre, soldiers arrived in a government bus, using loudspeakers to organize refugees into age-based queues. Masked individuals, assisted by soldiers and Muslim collaborators, identified and separated 158 people, who were then taken away despite protests.
Crucially, the commission revealed that Captains Munas, Palitha, Gunarathna, and Majors Majeed and Monan directed the operations. Notably, some of these names were aliases. Further, Gerry de Silva, a military officer, reportedly visited the camp on September 8, claiming that all 158 detainees were found guilty, yet he refrained from disclosing their fate.
A letter from Air Chief Marshal A.W. Fernando to Peace Committee Chairman Mr. Thalayasingam later claimed that only 32 people were detained and released within 24 hours. However, none of the detained individuals returned home, deepening the mystery of their whereabouts.
A Day of Remembrance
The Eastern University Massacre and related civilian killings are commemorated annually in Batticaloa, serving as a somber reminder of the brutality inflicted upon innocent civilians during Sri Lanka's civil war.
See Also
- List of attacks on civilians attributed to Sri Lankan government forces
Sources
For further information, please visit the Wikipedia article on the Eastern University Massacre.
No Recent News
No recent news articles found for this case. Check back later for updates.
No Evidence Submitted
No evidence found for this case. Be the first to submit evidence in the comments below.
Join the discussion
Loading comments...
Eastern University Massacre
Sri Lankan Army arrests and murders 158 Tamil refugees at Eastern University.
Additional Arrests
Sri Lankan Army arrests 16 more individuals from the Eastern University refugee camp.
Commission Established
President appoints a commission to investigate involuntary disappearances in Northern and Eastern Provinces.
Commission Report Released
The Presidential Commission releases its final report detailing the arrests and disappearances.
Black September Begins
A series of civilian massacres in Sri Lanka, including the Eastern University massacre, begins.
Witness Testimonies
Witnesses testify about the events and the involvement of the Sri Lankan Army in the massacres.
Annual Remembrance Established
The massacre becomes an annual event of remembrance in Batticaloa.