Tamils brave more Sri Lankan police intimidation to mark 35th anniversary of Prawn Farm massacre
Despite Sri Lankan police officers attempting to halt commemorations in Batticaloa earlier today, the 35th anniversary of the Kokkadichcholai massacre was marked in the district, paying tribute to the 87 people killed by Sri Lankan security forces.
Batticaloa MP and TELO Secretary General Govindan Karunakaram attempted to pay tribute at the recently rebuilt memorial earlier today, when he was stopped by Sri Lankan police officers.
Even as the officers pulled out their mobile phones and started recording, the Tamils paid tribute to those killed. In recent years, the Sri Lankan security forces have intensified efforts to crack down on Tamil commemorative events.
The memorial in Batticaloa was rebuilt and opened May 2018, after the original monument was destroyed by Sri Lankan troops.
‘They killed everybody’
The massacre, which took place January 27 1987, saw Special Task Force (STF) and army officers raid a prawn factory in the village, shooting dead the workers, which including seven boys aged between 12 to 14. The killings have since been dubbed the ‘Prawn Farm Massacre’.
According to relatives of the victims, the night before the massacre, government helicopters were seen circling the area. On the morning of the killings, helicopters were seen dropping troops off, as they went on to slaughter dozens of Tamils.
Some of the workers were then taken to nearby road and shot dead. Forty people, who had been hiding in a nearby farm, were also killed.
The bodies of those killed were burnt on old tyres, the relatives of the victims said.
British involvement
A book released in 2020 examined how a British company – Keenie Meenie Services (KMS) – had been involved with training STF troops at the time, and had been reported to fly Sri Lankan military helicopters during security operations.
Phil Miller, the author of ‘Keenie Meenie: The British Mercenaries Who Got Away with War Crimes’, wrote on the massacre, stating that “It is not known whether Tim Smith (KMS mercenary) was personally involved in the operation, although the company’s aviators were flying over the Eastern Province that month”.
After STF troops disembarked from the helicopters, they went on to massacre dozens.
The massacre took place during the then UNP government. No one, including KMS mercenaries, has been brought to justice for the crime.
Also see a trailer for Miler’s new documentary, “Keenie Meenie: Britain’s Private Army” below.