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8 civilians murdered in Jaffna: Soldier sentenced to death

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25 June 2015 07:14 am - 34     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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A former staff sergeant attached to Sri Lanka Army who was found guilty for the murder of eight Tamil civilians in Mirusuvil, Jaffna in 2000 was today sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court after a 13-year-trial.

High Court Judges Lalith Jayasuriya and Preethi Padman Surasena found the first accused, former Staff Sergeant R.M. Sunil Ratnayake of the army Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) guilty of 17 counts including unlawful assembly with common intention to cause injury and murder of eight persons.

The Court further imposed a fine of Rs.51,000 on the accused and observed that he would be liable to a seven-month-imprisonment on default of the fine.

Four other accused Second Lieutenant R.W. Senaka Munasinghe, T.M. Jayaratne, S.A. Pushpa Saman Kumara and Gamini Munasinghe were not found guilty and thereby acquitted and released from the case.

When the judges asked the accused whether he was guilty or not guilty to each charge, the first accused told the open Court that he was not pleading guilty to the charges.

In this case R.M. Sunil Ratnayake, Second Lieutenant R.W. Senaka Munasinghe, T.M. Jayaratne, S.A. Pushpa Saman Kumara and Gamini Munasinghe were accused on 17 counts including unlawful assembly with common intention to cause injury and murder of eight persons on December 19, 2000 at Mirusuvil and committing the murder of eight Tamil villagers.

The Attorney General indicted five accused on 17 charges in the murder of Gnanapalan Raviveeran, Sellamuttu Theivakulasingham, Vilvarajah Pratheepan, Sinniah Vilvarajah, Nadesu Jeyachandran, Kathiran Gnanachandran, Gnanachandran Santhan and Vilvarajah Prasath in Mirusuvil of the Jaffna peninsula before a High Court at Trial-at-Bar.

Additional Solicitor General Sarath Jayamanna appeared for the Attorney General. (Lakmal Sooriyagoda)

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  Comments - 34

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  • Jehan Friday, 26 June 2015 11:41 AM

    Judiciary cannot be trusted from MRs time to this governments time too. We saw how Ravi was acquitted citing "technical" issues.

    SL Friday, 26 June 2015 10:03 AM

    yes there are so many Killer scod members trained by your Boss is in prisons .(oh For TNA they are political prisners )

    Kiris Baba Amaray Friday, 26 June 2015 10:13 AM

    Fine but he killed Eight civilians but he alone deserves punishment - must arrest his companions too who were involved. .

    Bubble Banda Friday, 26 June 2015 10:14 AM

    If he had killed the LTTE cadres its OK, but innocent civilians.

    Horri Jimonis Friday, 26 June 2015 10:14 AM

    Are the eight killed are LTTE men? Then it is not reasonable.

    J Palitha Friday, 26 June 2015 10:16 AM

    He should be a strong supporter of Mahinda.

    Mason Friday, 26 June 2015 11:11 AM

    It is heartening to see that Judges are dispensing justice without fear or favour after an absence of many years.

    gayan Friday, 26 June 2015 11:21 AM

    Govt testing waters.

    Billa Friday, 26 June 2015 11:35 AM

    MS-Gavapalanaya bull shit.

    wasalaya Friday, 26 June 2015 09:53 AM

    War hero in the death row, terrorists on the loose and more terrorist are on the way for the terrorist Carnival. The only country in the world to have a terrorist carnival.

    Pumi Friday, 26 June 2015 11:48 AM

    Dear President, whats going on.. when need to praise you we praise you, but what will be going to happen in future...the fallen heros curse us for sure. This means Sunil is not the only person get death penalty, all sri lankan who enjoy the peace. Great Sunil Ratnayake really be a hero. Now No help for us. The family should remember that its not a crime and he is another hero.

    Hiran Friday, 26 June 2015 11:53 AM

    Only a president can grant a pardon, Idiot !!!

    Waco Friday, 26 June 2015 01:04 PM

    Most of the LTTE Fighters did not have uniforms. When the weapons were not with them, they pretended as they were innocent Civilians.

    My heart hurts! Friday, 26 June 2015 01:50 PM

    See the names of people who have made most of comments. It speaks volumes of who pleases whom....!

    Neutral Friday, 26 June 2015 02:29 PM

    What About Karuna Amman ? He is still there and there are hundreds of evidence for his crimes . When he will be prosecuted?

    Zeebra Friday, 26 June 2015 10:02 PM

    W4 out of the eight are children... thereforell cannot be LTTE...

    ron Friday, 27 July 2018 04:34 PM

    what about all the innocent sinhalese killed by the barbaric LTTE. Who is going to compensate them and who is going to see that this sort of sinhala innocents are never going to be killed again ???????

    S.P.RAMKUMAR Friday, 26 June 2015 08:51 AM

    he did because of duty not personnel. we need reconciliation. president have to help him to come out. forgiveness will pave the to real path to peace and unity of this country.

    Shamantha Welgama Thursday, 25 June 2015 02:21 PM

    Another good example of the Good governance, Freedom of the court of law in Present Sri Lanka.

    karigalan Thursday, 25 June 2015 02:33 PM

    SL moving right direction with MSpunish all culprits without looking into their race.God bless SL

    cheers Thursday, 25 June 2015 03:03 PM

    Can we also start with Aranthalawa etc and offer death penalty to all LTTE combats who surrendered to govt

    ram Thursday, 25 June 2015 03:33 PM

    reminder of the Geneva HR meeting nearing.?

    Akilan Thursday, 25 June 2015 03:38 PM

    If GR or MR still in power, solder performed all these for humanitarian activities to save lives.

    Sikuru Thursday, 25 June 2015 04:20 PM

    Why is Mr protecting Karuna who is responsible for most of the massacres by the LTTE?

    shan Friday, 26 June 2015 08:21 AM

    Wonder of Asia! !You can expect this kind of judgements till September!

    ram Friday, 26 June 2015 08:28 AM

    cheers,better to start with 1958, 83 riots. and then in the order from the past

    Christian Thursday, 25 June 2015 01:42 PM

    DONT WORRY MAN ..YOU WILL BE PARDONED WHEN MAHINTHA COMES IN GLORY AT THE NEXT ELECTION

    BuffaloaCitizen Friday, 26 June 2015 08:55 AM

    Very true, this is why he has not pleaded guilty bcos according to Mahinda Chinthanaya killing Tamils is patriotism.

    BuffaloaCitizen Friday, 26 June 2015 08:57 AM

    This guys has committed peanuts if one was to look at the whole picture, where similar to 1983, all the killings in the north were State sponsored and guaranteed impunity.

    BuffaloaCitizen Friday, 26 June 2015 09:00 AM

    The legal system and the forces are 100% Sinhalese. Therefore, investigating and punishing LTTE cadres responsible for not only Aranthalawa but all civilian deaths is a simple task i.e. if such cadres are still living. But at the same time, a democratic government cannot behave in the same way as LTTE terrorists behave.

    BuffaloaCitizen Friday, 26 June 2015 09:02 AM

    First and foremost, this soldier is not the only one involved in the massacre of 8 civilians including burying them. Their is a much bigger picture that is being suppressed and just one guy is sentenced to show the world that action is being taken. What a hoax.

    Yan Friday, 26 June 2015 09:18 AM

    Hang him immediately....

    Waco Friday, 26 June 2015 09:41 AM

    My3 has fotten Aranthalawa. MR your first and foremost task.

    banda Friday, 26 June 2015 09:47 AM

    first run a proper trial and prove that the surrendered cadres are the ones who committed the crime


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