People of Navaali remember massacre amidst SLA harassment

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 July 2012, 08:56 GMT]

Hundreds of Eezham Tamils on Monday gathered at Navaali St. Peters's Church in Jaffna in memory of 147 civilians, who were brutally slain in a genocidal massacre 17 years ago by the Sri Lankan military that had instructed the fleeing people from a military operation to seek security at the Church and the nearby Saiva temple. The Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) on 09 July 1995 dropped leaflets from its helicopters instructing the civilians who were fleeing from a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) operation, to seek security at the Church.

More than 2,500 people had sought asylum at the area, comprising the church and the temple.

A few hours later, the SLAF bombers targeted St. Peters church and its environs, dropped around 13 bombs using Pucara bombers it had purchased from Argentine and massacred the people who had sought refuge there.

On that fateful day, the occupying Sri Lanka Army from the Palaali military base had launched ‘Operation Leap Forward’, uprooting thousands of people in Valikaamam from 5:40 a.m.

People from Valikaamam West, Valikaamam South West and Valikaamam South were forced to flee, carrying with them whatever they could take in their rush. Most of them fled with the cloths they were wearing that night as the SLA had started to fire shells early in the morning from its Forward Defence Lines in A'laveddi and Cha'ndilippaay.

The people were fleeing in bicycles, land-masters, bullock carts and on foot along Vaddukkoaddai - Navaali Road, Vazhukkiyaattu ve'li, and Navaali - Aanaikkoaddai - Maanippaay Road.

The SLAF was monitoring the pattern of the fleeing people from its combat helicopters and was providing coordinates to the SLA, which directed its indiscriminate shelling targeting the fleeing people throughout the day. Scores were killed while fleeing.

As the carnage continued, the SLAF helicopters dropped leaflets instructing people to seek refuge at Navaali St. Peters church and at Navaali Sri Kathirkaama Murukan temple.

After more than 2,500 people had gathered in the Church area, Pucara bombers launched the brutal massacre. The Church was destroyed in the attack. The entire area became a killing field.

Three village (GS) officers, who were assisting the fleeing people, were also killed in the massacre.

The remains of the slain victims, scattered all over the premises and its environs, were taken to Chemmani grounds for burial.

Every year, people of Navaali conduct memorial events remembering their kith and kin killed in the massacre.

On Monday, St. Peters Church Parish Priest G. Jothinathan, conducted a special prayer in memory of the victims.

Related Articles:
10.07.10   Navaali massacre of 147 Tamil civilians remembered
09.07.09   Navaali St. Peter’s Church victims remembered
10.07.08   13th anniversary of Navaali church massacre observed
09.07.04   Navaly massacre of 147 Tamil civilians remembered
22.01.00   Navaly St. Peters Church consecrated
09.07.98   Anniversary of church bombing

Translate political strength into solution: TNPF’s Kajendren

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 December 2011, 15:46 GMT]
The LTTE left endowing us with enhanced political strength in the international arena. It will be a folly if we don’t know to effectively translate that into political solution addressing to our aspirations, said the Secretary General of the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF), Selvaraja Kajendren, while remembering the slain Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, N. Raviraj on Wednesday in Jaffna. The present TNA tries to project an image that the Tamils are now weak and they should not demand anything as in the past. This is a wrong projection. It is the political strength and righteousness the LTTE left with us that now makes the IC to poke its nose with seeming sympathy. Their real interests are different, but the space has to be used with firmness and not with naivety on our part, Kajendren said.

The following are further observations of Mr. Kajendren:

The IC on its own is not going to give us any solution. But, the IC that has its own vested interests in entering into the island is now impelled to show a face sympathetic to Tamils.

They talk of war crimes accountability but they are not prepared to acknowledge genocide, because acknowledging genocide will be acknowledging the need for Eezham Tamil independence.

Yet, our political strength that impels the IC to put on a sympathetic face has to be grasped by us intelligently to achieve our aspirations.

In this respect the TNA cuts a pathetic figure by playing in the hands of Colombo government, Kajendren said.

The fourth anniversary of the assassination of the former TNA parliamentarian, Nadarajah Raviraj was observed at the office of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress in Jaffna on Wednesday.

Marking the occasion, 13 families that lost their members in the war were provided with assistance. Diaspora philanthropists have provided the funds needed for the assistance.

The memorial meeting was originally scheduled to take place at Chaavakach-cheari, the native town of Mr. Raviraj. But following SL military threats to the hall owners, the venue was changed to the party office in Jaffna.

None of the current TNA parliamentarians attended the memorial meeting. Many of the attendees were sad about present TNA showing forgetfulness to its slain parliamentarian.  

in memory of the victims