Sinhalese Settlers: Heroes Or Victims?
Rajan Hoole
The Rise and Fall of the Tamil Militancy and the International Legal Implications of the Government’s Counter-Insurgency – Part 3
On to Weli Oya
After this, the profile of the Mahaveli Authority was on the wane. In the East security worsened and in 1984 its work was slowed down by a delay in the Saudi government signing a loan agreement. Covert land settlement activity came under the JOSSOP. About June 1984 Arthur Herath, SP Vavuniya, chased away the Tamils from Kent and Dollar Farms. The first move towards demographic transformation of the Mullaitivu District, was made by turning the farms into an open prison camp. Several hundred prisoners were brought there. On 30th November 1984, the LTTE came into that area, and in their first massacre of civilians, killed about 62 persons including 3 prison guards. As to what the settlement was about, we will refer to our Bulletin No.4, Padaviya – Weli Oya: Bearing the Burden of Ideology of February 1995 and to Special Report No.5 From Manal Aru to Weli Oya… of September 1993. The quotations below are from Bulletin No. 4.
Once the prisoners had been brought to the area in late 1984, they were used to apply pressure on Tamils living in the surrounding area:
“An activist in a leftwing political group said that he with others from the group had gone to Kent and Dollar Farms just after the November 1984 massacre. The survivors had told them that the settlement of prisoners was being used to further harass Tamils into leaving the area. They were told that young Tamil women were abducted, brought there and gang-raped, first by the forces, next by prison gaurds and finally by prisoners.”
To this was added other forms of harassment such as theft of cattle. After some weeks the Army reined in the convicts, spoke to the neighbouring Tamil villagers pleasantly and inquired after their welfare. But an insidious message had been given. It was the same year that an Israeli Interests Section was opened in the US Embassy in Colombo and Israeli advisors started making their appearance.
Following the massacre of prisoners by the LTTE on 30.11.84, the Government removed the velvet glove and adopted an openly iron-fisted approach to the Tamil civilians in the area. About Christmas Eve 1984, the Army by loud speaker ordered several villages in the area to vacate. These included Kokkilai, Kokkuthoduvai, Karnaddu Kerni, Kayadikkulam and Koddai Kerni. Eventually a total of about 2,700 Tamil families in that area came to be displaced, including those from Thennamaravady, the northern-most village in the Trincomalee District. The latter stands empty now. Their former MP, Mr. R. Sampanthan reflected, ‘A beautiful village and such wonderful people’. All of them were rendered refugees.
