The kith and kin of 174 Tamil youths, who were arrested and dragged away by the occupying Sri Lanka Army 21 years ago in two separate incidents at Vanthaa'rumoolai and later massacred en masse, observed Monday memorial prayers at the Saiva temple at the Eastern University premises and at the Vishnu temple of Vanthaa'rumoolai. According to the findings of the SL Presidential Commission appointed by the then government to conduct inquiry into several massacres of Tamils that had taken place in East, Sri Lanka Army was responsible for the abduction of 174 Tamil youths.
At least 158 Tamil youth were taken away by the SLA on 05 September 1990, from the refugee camp located in the Eastern University of Sri Lanka at that time. 16 Tamil youth were taken away on September 13.
The dead bodies of the victims have not been traced or recovered yet.
The International Community, which demands the Sri Lankan state to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity of 2009, should urge immediate action on the admitted crimes against humanity, civil activists from Vanthaa'rumoolai said after observing an emotional prayer at the EUSL on Monday.
“The legal activists among the Diaspora Tamils should take note of the findings from the previously investigated and SL government-admitted crimes against humanity and seek international action against the SL government,” an activist from Vanthaa'rumoolai told TamilNet Tuesday.
The victims were abducted from the EUSL refugee camp in eleven buses by a group led by SLA commanders Captain Munaz, Captain Palitha, Capt.Gunaratna, and Major Majeed assisted by the notorious PLOTE paramilitary operative Mohan and the Muslim Jihad paramilitary operative Majeed.
These Tamil youths were among the thousands of Tamils who sought refuge at the EUSL following the breakdown of the ceasefire between the Government of Sri Lanka and LTTE in 1990.
Around fifty five thousand Tamils residing in the villages Vanthaa'rumoolai, Chungkan-kea'ni, Ka'ruvaak-kea'ni and Chengkaladi fled from a stretch between Batticaloa and Vaazhaichcheanai were seeking refuge at the university.
DM
