Relatives of victims and members of the public gathered in Verugal this week to commemorate the 41st anniversary of the Vattavan massacre, one of a number of deadly attacks on Tamils in the region, as families renewed calls for truth, justice and accountability.
The remembrance event was held on 3 June in Vattavan village, where mourners lit memorial lamps, offered floral tributes and observed a two-minute silence in honour of those killed.
Many relatives attended the commemoration in tears, remembering loved ones who were murdered in the massacre more than four decades ago.
The Vattavan massacre remains a dark episodes in the history of the Verugal region in Trincomalee District. Situated along the border of the Tamil homeland, the area endured repeated violence, displacement and military operations throughout the armed conflict.
According to survivors and local residents, armed groups and individuals linked to the Sri Lankan security forces entered the Verugal area on 3 June 1985 and launched attacks on several Tamil villages.
Villages including Arippu, Poonagar, Poomarathadichenai, Mavadichenai, Muthuchenai, Valaithottam and Vattavan were reportedly attacked, looted and set ablaze.
As violence spread, terrified residents fled into nearby forests, abandoning their homes and possessions in an attempt to escape.
However, several members of a single family and their relatives were unable to flee.
Seeking protection, ten people, including a pregnant mother and young children, reportedly took refuge inside a house in Vattavan village.
According to local accounts, armed assailants entered the house, murdered those sheltering inside and subsequently set their bodies on fire.
Ten Tamils from the same extended family were killed in the attack.
The victims were:
• Subathirai (pregnant mother)
• Karthigesu
• Karthigesu Kanagamma
• Rangarasa Amaravathi
• Rangarasa Rasa
• Rangarasa Saraswathi
• Kethupalupillai
• Annakili
• Chinnaiya Kidnappillai
• Rasaiyar (Odaviyar)
During this week's commemoration, portraits of the victims were displayed at the memorial site as relatives and community members paid their respects.
Participants reflected on the decades that have passed since the massacre and expressed frustration that no one has been held accountable for the killings.
Families noted that despite witnessing the loss of their loved ones and living with the trauma of the attack for more than forty years, justice remains elusive.
The anniversary comes amid continuing calls from Tamil families across the North-East for accountability over massacres, enforced disappearances and other atrocities committed during decades of violence.
