What Happened
Survivor Thankarasa Iyanar: "On 10th August 1990, from 10am that morning, I went with Doctor Shanmuganath and his wife Rani to see my son who had been captured at Karathivu Shanmuga School.
In town they stopped many people. They told us to separate into Muslims and Tamils. The Muslims left soon after. They called the men in one direction, into a room.
There was a man standing there with a knife. He grabbed my hair – because I had oil his hand slipped. He had tried to cut my head, but because his hand slipped, he cut my neck. I fell to the floor.
Dr Shunmuganathan and a few others were cut and killed. As I was lying there, I could hear all the screams and violence. It was unbearable.
After some time, a lady was brought in shouting. Her sari had already been removed. An army took her inside a room and raped her. She pleaded to be let go. Another army ordered that she be cut. I heard no sounds thereafter.
They put oil or kerosene on everyone and burnt them. The fire jumped to my legs. I managed to crawl into the room where they had taken the girl. I saw the lady's sari just on the floor. I tore it in half, tied it on my head and covered my face and neck.
Outside the fire was burning above my head. There were arms, legs and heads everywhere. But I had to keep going. So I just climbed over all of them and left."
Perpetrators
Sri Lankan Army
Sources & References
- NESOHR - Lest We Forget Volume I