The Allaipiddy massacre or Allaipiddy murders refers to the May 13, 2006 killing of 13 minority
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, na ...
civilians in separate incidents in three villages in the
islet of Kayts in northern
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
.
[
]
Incident
The
massacre
A massacre is the killing of a large number of people or animals, especially those who are not involved in any fighting or have no way of defending themselves. A massacre is generally considered to be morally unacceptable, especially when per ...
took place on the night of May 13, 2006 in the villages of
Allaipiddy, Puliyankoodal, and Vangalady. In all three incidents, Sri Lankan Navy entered a home and opened fire on the residents. The deadliest incident took place in Allaipiddy, where nine people, including two children, died. Three more were killed in Puliyankoodal and one in Vangalady. Several people were wounded.
[ The killings took place two days after the ]Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; ta, தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள், translit=Tamiḻīḻa viṭutalaip pulikaḷ, si, දෙමළ ඊළාම් විමුක්ති කොටි, t ...
(LTTE) launched a suicide assault on a naval convoy in which 18 sailors died.[
At least 150 people fled Allaipiddy after the massacre.][ Refugees who reached the ''de facto'' rebel capital Killinochchi, who spoke through an ]LTTE
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; ta, தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள், translit=Tamiḻīḻa viṭutalaip pulikaḷ, si, දෙමළ ඊළාම් විමුක්ති කොටි, t ...
translator, alleged harassment by the Sri Lankan Navy and accused it of carrying out the massacre.[
]
Reactions
The Sri Lankan government denounced the killings and blamed the LTTE, suggesting that the massacre "could very well be a part of the LTTE strategy to divert international opinion".[ The LTTE, meanwhile, blamed the government.
The ]International Crisis Group
The International Crisis Group (ICG; also known as the Crisis Group) is a transnational non-profit, non-governmental organisation founded in 1995. It is a think tank, used by policymakers and academics, performing research and analysis on global ...
identified the Sri Lankan Navy and members of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party
The Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) is a political party and a pro-government paramilitary organization in Sri Lanka. It is led by its founder Douglas Devananda.
Background
Douglas Devananda was one of the founding members of the Eelam Re ...
, an anti-LTTE Tamil political party and paramilitary
A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...
organization, as the most likely culprits.University Teachers for Human Rights
*''For the figure in Norse mythology, see Urðr''
The University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) or UTHR(J) was formed in 1988 at the University of Jaffna, Jaffna, in Sri Lanka, as part of the national organization University Teachers for H ...
stated that it had confirmed the involvement of Navy personnel and EPDP members
and Amnesty International
Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and s ...
acknowledged that it had "received credible reports that Sri Lanka Navy personnel and armed cadres affiliated with the PDP... were present at the scene of the killings".[
]
After the massacre, Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...
Bishop Duleep de Chickera visited Allaipiddy as part of a fact-finding mission to northern Sri Lanka. In his report he stated:
Investigation
Local newspapers have reported that the investigation into the murders has stalled in Kayts District Courts due to lack of cooperation from various involved parties.[
]
See also
* St. Philip Neri Church bombing
References
External links
Killing match in LankaPax-Christi report on follow up to Allaipiddy massacre
{{coord missing, Sri Lanka
2006 crimes in Sri Lanka
Eelam People's Democratic Party
Attacks on civilians attributed to the Sri Lanka Navy
Massacres in Sri Lanka
Mass murder in 2006
Mass murder of Sri Lankan Tamils
Sri Lankan government forces attacks in Eelam War IV
Terrorist incidents in Sri Lanka in 2006