The 30th anniversary of the Kumarapuram massacre was commemorated on Wednesday at the University of Jaffna, where students gathered to remember those killed and reflect on the enduring absence of accountability.
The remembrance event, organised by students of the University of Jaffna, saw participants offer flowers and light lamps in memory of the victims.
The Kumarapuram massacre took place on 11 February 1996, when Sri Lankan soldiers entered the village and killed 26 Tamil civilians and injured 24 others. Among those killed were nine children under the age of 12 and nine women.
Survivors reported that a group of eight to ten Sri Lankan soldiers carried out the killings, opening fire on residents and shouting “death to Tamils” in Sinhala. A 15-year-old girl was reportedly gang raped before she was killed.
Despite the gravity of the crimes, it took two decades for the case to reach trial. In July 2016, six Sri Lankan soldiers charged in connection with the massacre were acquitted of all 101 counts against them. The High Court judge ruled that the soldiers could not be convicted, even though survivors had identified those responsible.
The commemoration at the University of Jaffna forms part of a wider pattern of remembrance across the Tamil homeland.
