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{{Short description|1989 killing of Sri Lankan Tamil civilians by Indian soldiers in Valvettiturai, Sri Lanka}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{distinguish|text=the [[1985 Valvettiturai massacre]]}}
{{Infobox civilian attack
| title = 1989 Valvettiturai massacre
| image = LocationSriLanka.png
| caption = Location of Sri Lanka
| location = [[Valvettiturai]], [[Sri Lanka]]
| coordinates =
| target = [[Sri Lankan Tamil]] civilians
| date = 2–3 August 1989
| time =
| timezone = +6 GMT
| type = Shooting, burning, shelling
| fatalities = 64 (52 identified, 12 missing and presumed dead)<ref name=IE/>
| injuries = 43<ref name=IE/>
| perps = [[Indian Army]] soldiers of the [[Indian Peace Keeping Force]]
| weapons = Guns, cannons, grenades, fire}}

The '''1989 Valvettiturai massacre''' occurred on 2 and 3 August 1989 in the small coastal town of [[Valvettiturai]], on the [[Jaffna Peninsula]] in [[Sri Lanka]]. Sixty-four [[Sri Lankan Tamil]] civilians were killed by soldiers of the [[Indian Peace Keeping Force]]. The [[massacre]] followed an attack on the soldiers by rebel [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]] cadres. The rebel attack had left six Indian soldiers, including an officer, dead, and another 10 injured. Indian authorities claimed that the civilians were caught in crossfire. Journalists such as [[Rita Sebastian]] of the ''[[Indian Express]]'',<ref name=IE>{{cite news | last = Sebastian | first = Rita | title = Massacre at Point Pedro | publisher = [[Indian Express]] | date = 24 August 1989 | url = http://www.ltteps.org/mainpages/images/2006/08/Massacre_at_Valvetti_-_Indian_Express.pdf | access-date = 24 December 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070701050648/https://www.ltteps.org/mainpages/images/2006/08/Massacre_at_Valvetti_-_Indian_Express.pdf | archive-date = 1 July 2007 | url-status = dead }}</ref> David Husego of the ''[[Financial Times]]'' and local human rights groups such as the [[University Teachers for Human Rights]] have reported quoting eyewitness accounts that it was a massacre of civilians.<ref name=UTHR>{{cite web | last = Hoole | first = Rajan | author-link = Rajan Hoole | title = Vadamaratchi: April/August 1989 | publisher = [[University Teachers for Human Rights]] | url = http://www.uthr.org/Reports/Report3/chapter3.htm | access-date = 24 December 2008 | archive-date = 29 April 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090429172256/http://www.uthr.org/Reports/Report3/chapter3.htm | url-status = dead }}</ref> [[George Fernandes]], who later served as [[Minister of Defence (India)|defense minister of India]] (1998–2004), called the massacre India’s [[My Lai massacre|My Lai]].<ref name=SS>{{cite book | last=Sharma | first=Sitaram | title= Contemporary political leadership in India: George Fernandes- The defense minister | year=1998 | publisher= APH Publications |isbn=978-81-7024-999-3}} p.211–212</ref>

==Background information==
{{See also|Origins of the Sri Lankan civil war}}
During the [[British Ceylon|British colonial period]], when [[Sri Lanka]] was known as [[Ceylon]], most civil service jobs were (roughly 60%) held by minority [[Sri Lankan Tamils]] who were approximately [[Demographics of Sri Lanka|15%]] of the population. This was due to the availability of western style education provided by [[American Ceylon Mission|American missionaries]] and others in the Tamil dominant [[Jaffna Peninsula]]. The preponderance of Tamils over their natural share of the population was used by populist majority Sinhalese politicians to come to political power by promising to elevate the [[Sinhalese people]]. [[Sinhala Only Act|These measures]] as well as [[Riots and pogroms in Sri Lanka|riots and pogroms]] that targeted the minority Sri Lankan Tamils led to the formation of a number of [[Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups|rebel groups]] advocating [[Tamil Eelam|independence for Tamils]]. Following the 1983 [[Black July]] [[pogrom]] full scale [[Sri Lankan civil war|civil war]] began between the government and the rebel groups.{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}}

In 1987 the government of Sri Lanka and [[Government of India|India]] entered into an agreement and invited the [[Indian Army]] to be used as [[Peacekeeping|peacekeepers]]. Eventually the [[Indian Peace Keeping Force]] (IPKF) came into conflict with one of the rebel groups namely the [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]] (LTTE). During October 1987 the Indian forces trying to wrest control of the [[Jaffna]] town stormed the [[Jaffna Teaching Hospital|Jaffna hospital]] [[Jaffna hospital massacre|resulting]] in the deaths of a number of staff and patients. By [[Operation Pawan|November 1987 the Indian Army]] was in nominal control of all major towns within the Jaffna Peninsula.{{cn|date=July 2020}} But the LTTE after removing most of its fighting cadres south of the peninsula maintained a steady barrage of typical [[Guerrilla warfare|guerilla style attacks]] throughout 1988 and 1989.<ref name=UTHR/> This period also saw huge loss of civilian life, claimed rapes and number of instances of mass massacres.<ref name=CM>{{cite book | last=McDowell | first=Chris | title= A Tamil Asylum Diaspora: Sri Lankan Migration, Settlement and Politics in Switzerland (Studies in Forced Migration) | year=1996 | publisher= Berghahn Books |isbn=1-57181-917-7}} p.181</ref>

==Reactions==
According to the ''[[Financial Times]]'' report, the Indians believe that the incident resulted from a deliberate provocation by the LTTE intended to trigger an overwhelming Indian response; thus tarnishing the IPKF’s image, during sensitive negotiations to leave the island nation. The Indian embassy claimed that 24 civilians were killed in crossfire. A later report on [[All India Radio]] claimed that 18 LTTE personnel and 12 civilians were killed. The statement by the Chief Minister of the North East Mr. Varadarajaperumal dismissed the local media reports as exaggerations.<ref name=UTHR/> According to an [[affidavit]] by an eyewitness, very next day, the Commanding Officer of Vadamaradchi (region), Brigadier Shankar Prasad, the Deputy Commander, Col Aujla, and the Udupiddy Commanding Officer, Colonel Sharma met some of the survivors and apologized.<ref name=IE/> [[George Fernandes]] who served as [[Minister of Defence (India)|India's defence minister]] from 1998 to 2004 termed the massacres as India’s [[My Lai massacre|My Lai]].<ref name=SS/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book | title= India's Mylai : Massacre at Valvettiturai | year=1989 | publisher= [[Hind Mazdoor Kisan Panchayat|Hind Mazdoor Kissan Panchayat]] |oclc =153279135}}

==External links==
*[http://www.friendsoftibet.org/databank/indiageneral/indiag8.html By George, He's still an activist] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231845/http://www.friendsoftibet.org/databank/indiageneral/indiag8.html |date=3 March 2016 }}
*[http://www.torontotamil.com/2018/08/02/valvettithurai-massacre-in-1989-by-ipkf/ Valvai Massacre 29th Year] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802223721/http://www.torontotamil.com/2018/08/02/valvettithurai-massacre-in-1989-by-ipkf/ |date=2 August 2018 }}
*[https://pearlaction.org/2019/08/02/thevalvettithuraimassacre/ The Valvettithurai Massacre]
{{coord|9|49|N|80|10|E|region:LK_type:city|display=title}}

{{Sri Lankan Civil War}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Valvettiturai Massacre}}

{{#seo:
|keywords=1989 crimes in Sri Lanka, Attacks on civilians attributed to the Indian Peace Keeping Force, Massacres in Sri Lanka, Indian Peace Keeping Force attacks in the Sri Lankan Civil War, Massacres in 1989, Mass murder of Sri Lankan Tamils, Valvettithurai, 1989 mass shootings in Asia, Massacres committed by India
|description=
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[[Category:1989 crimes in Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Attacks on civilians attributed to the Indian Peace Keeping Force]]
[[Category:Massacres in Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Indian Peace Keeping Force attacks in the Sri Lankan Civil War]]
[[Category:Massacres in 1989]]
[[Category:Mass murder of Sri Lankan Tamils]]
[[Category:Valvettithurai]]
[[Category:1989 mass shootings in Asia]]
[[Category:Massacres committed by India]]

1989 Valvettiturai massacre - Revision history

MetaBOT at 15:28, 8 July 2023