Mannaar Killing Field number rises to 43, site extent still not known

43 human skeletons have been recovered till Wednesday at Thirukkeatheesvaram mass grave in Mannaar, news sources in Mannaar said. The boundaries of the mass grave are yet to be established, according to the Judicial Medical Officer from Anuradhapura D. M. Waidyaratne. The JMO has also gone on record stating that it would take long time to establish how the killings had occurred. 

On Wednesday, when the exhumation continued for the 11th time, 3 skeletons were recovered.

There have been almost no belongings of the victims found in the mass grave so far, making it further difficult to identify the victims.

Mr Sinthathurai, the secretary of Mannaar Citizen Committee said he believed many of the civilians reported missing in Mannaar had been massacred and dumped at Thirukkeatheesvaram mass grave.

The Secretary of Thirukkeatheesvaram temple management board, Mr Ambalavanar Thirunavukkarasu said that the Sri Lankan and Indian military were behind several rounds of search operations between 1985 and 1990 in the said area. The LTTE was coming and going to the village till 1990.

The area was under SL military control from 1990.
TN