Valvettithurai massacre survivors file USD 15 Mn reparations claim

Survivors and relatives of victims of the 1989 Valvettithurai massacre have submitted a formal reparations claim to the Sri Lankan Office for Reparations, seeking USD 15 million (around LKR 4.5 billion) in compensation for the killings and destruction carried out by the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) 36 years ago.

The submission was formally announced at a media conference on Sunday (Oct. 19) at the Vadamarachchi Press Club in Jaffna, where survivors and families of the victims lit lamps and laid floral tributes in memory of those killed.

The claim, filed by the Citizens’ Committee of Valvettithurai, is reportedly the first to demand reparations for a mass atrocity committed by a foreign military on Sri Lankan soil.

A copy of the claim and an accompanying report, which includes eyewitness testimonies, was also handed over to President’s Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran.

According to reports, at least 66 civilians were killed and 34 others injured during a three-day attack from August 2 to 4, 1989. The violence also destroyed 123 houses and 43 shops, while more than 250 additional homes suffered damage.