The massacre of ten Tamils, including a local parish priest, by the Sri Lankan army was remembered today in Mannar.
Armed soldiers arrived at the Vankalai Church on January 6, 1985, and shot dead Father Mariya Bastian and nine other locals, including children who were living with him, at the entrance of the building.
Local residents, congregation and families of those murdered gathered at the church today to remember the victims, and pay tribute to Father Bastian.
Youths and students also ran a blood donation drive to mark the anniversary of the massacre.
Father Bastian
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
