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The 39th anniversary of the Verugal massacre was marked this week in a solemn commemoration in the Verugal-Poonagar area of Trincomalee. The event was organised by relatives of the victims, civil activists, and local community members to honour the memory of the 21 civilians brutally killed on 12 June 1986 while transporting dry food to displaced Tamils.
The massacre took place during a period of intense shelling and conflict across the North-East. On that day, 21 people, including three government officials, were intercepted by a group of armed men in Mahindapura as they transported essential supplies from the Cheruvila Multipurpose Cooperative Society to refugee camps in Echilampattu. The group was responding to an appeal for aid from the then District Governor Warnasuriya.
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They were stopped, taken 50 metres off the main road, made to kneel, and then hacked and shot to death. Among those killed were two Muslims. Three others survived with serious injuries.
The victims had been providing dry rations to civilians who had taken shelter in refugee camps established in Echilampattu, Poomaratthadichenai, and Mavadichenai under the Verugal Divisional Secretariat. At the time, the region was heavily affected by the conflict, and these camps were lifelines for displaced Tamils.
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The commemoration began with prayers and the lighting of a memorial flame. Lamps were lit and flowers placed before portraits of the deceased, followed by a service for the repose of their souls. The event was attended by Kandumani Lavakurasa, coordinator of the AGAM Human Resources Center, as well as members of the Verugal Pradeshiya Sabha.
Thirty-nine years later, justice for the victims of the Verugal massacre remains elusive. No one has been held accountable for this atrocity.
The following individuals were massacred:
1. Thangarasa, Grama Niladhari (Poomarathadichenai), Echilampattu Welfare Centre
2. Alif Khan, Grama Niladhari (Thoppur), Poomarathadichenai Welfare Centre
3. A. M. A. Latheef (Palaththoppur), Resettlement Officer, Poonagar Welfare Centre
4. Komaamalai Velautham, Poomarathadichenai
5. Kathirkamathampi Vinayakamoorthy, Poomarathadichenai
6. Theiventheiram Navarednam, Poomarathadichenai
7. Thampirasa Navarednam, Poonagar
8. Kanagasapai Kanagasuntharam, Poonagar
9. Kathirkamathampi Sellathampi, Poonagar
10. Muthathampi Kasippillai, Poonagar
11. Kathirkamathampi Nagarasa, Poonagar
12. Virapathiran Nadesapillai, Poonagar
13. Muthaiya Kaalirasa, Poonagar
14. Muthukkumar Veluppillai, Poonagar
15. Veluppillai Chithiravel, Vinayakapuram, Echilampattu
16. Chithiravel Sivalingam, Vinayakapuram, Echilampattu
17. Veerapathiran Somasundaram, Vinayakapuram, Echilampattu
18. Chithiravel Thampapillai, Vinayakapuram, Echilampattu
19. Nallaiyah Parameshwaran, Lanka Pattinam
20. Thamotharam Tharmalingam, Echilampattu
21. Punniyam Mathivathanan, Poomarathadichenai
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