A three-year military intervention descended into widespread atrocities as Indian forces perpetrated massacres, torture, sexual violence and enforced disappearances against the very population they claimed to protect.
The Indian military deployment to Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990 stands as one of the most brutal and controversial peacekeeping missions in modern history. Originally deployed under the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord to disarm Tamil terrorist groups and establish peace, the Indian military forces instead became perpetrators of extensive war crimes and crimes against humanity against Tamil civilians.
The Valvettithurai Massacre: A Systematic Campaign of Terror
The most documented atrocity occurred in Valvettithurai over three days in August 1989, when Indian military soldiers killed more than 60 Tamil civilians, including five children under the age of 16 and one infant. Survivors recounted horrific scenes of execution style killings, with witnesses forced to play dead among pools of blood to survive.
The massacre was characterized by systematic destruction and collective punishment. Indian forces set fire to 123 houses, 45 shops and businesses, and 176 fishing boats along with motors and nets. The attack followed a firefight between the Indian backed terrorist organization Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and Indian military forces at the market square, which killed six Indian soldiers.
School principal Nadarajah Anantharaj, who was detained and severely beaten by Indian forces during the massacre, meticulously documented survivor testimonies through approximately 200 affidavits collected while "the stench of burning and corpses still hung in the air". His documentation provides critical evidence of the systematic nature of the atrocities.
Hospital Massacre: Targeting Medical Personnel and Patients
On October 21-22, 1987 during the Hindu festival of Diwali, Indian forces stormed Jaffna Teaching Hospital, killing between 60 and 70 patients and medical staff. The victims included 21 medical personnel, doctors, nurses and hospital staff, along with 47 patients receiving treatment.
Eyewitness accounts detail the deliberate targeting of medical facilities and personnel. Dr. Sivapathasuntharam was executed by Indian troops while attempting to surrender with fellow doctors and nurses, shouting "We are ordinary doctors and nurses. We surrender". Indian forces threw grenades into the radiology room where patients evacuated from Ward 8 had taken shelter and fired indiscriminately at civilians.
The hospital had been functioning as a sanctuary throughout the civil war, with assurances from the Indian Embassy that no major military action was imminent. The massacre violated the protected status of medical facilities under international humanitarian law.
Systematic Sexual Violence and Torture
Indian forces perpetrated widespread sexual violence against women, men and children throughout their deployment. Documented cases include the gang rape of a Tamil mother in her mid 30s by three Indian soldiers in November 1987, the rape of a 13 year old girl from a middle class family, and the sexual assault of a 22 year old student by four soldiers in January 1988.
Amnesty International documented numerous allegations of rape by Indian military personnel, with several dozen Tamil women testifying under oath about sexual assault in locations including Kondavil East in the north and villages in the eastern province. The sexual violence was accompanied by other forms of torture, including sodomizing male detainees at Jaffna fort.
In one particularly brutal incident on November 6, 1987, Indian soldiers stripped two young Tamil girls naked below the waist, separated their legs, and shot them through their genitals while keeping the rifle barrel between their thighs. The girls' father witnessed this atrocity while pretending to be dead.
Mass Enforced Disappearances and Extrajudicial Killings
Amnesty International documented 43 cases of enforced disappearance during the Indian military deployment, with all but four occurring in Jaffna district where the terrorist organization LTTE had its strongest presence. Most documented cases occurred between October and December 1987 during the Indian military's offensive against LTTE strongholds.
The disappearances formed part of a broader pattern of arbitrary detention, torture and extrajudicial execution. Thousands of prisoners were held outside the provisions of Sri Lankan law. The Indian military forces were accused of treating civilians as combatants and engaging in reprisal attacks against civilian populations.
Collective Punishment and Destruction of Property
Beyond individual killings and sexual violence, Indian forces engaged in systematic destruction of property and infrastructure as collective punishment. In Valvettithurai alone, forces burned down houses, shops, cinemas, vehicles, food stocks and fishing equipment in what survivors described as "wanton rampage of destruction".
The destruction targeted livelihoods, particularly fishing communities that formed the economic backbone of coastal Tamil towns. This economic warfare complemented the physical violence in terrorizing the population.
International Recognition of Crimes
The International Truth and Justice Project concluded that the systematic nature and deliberate targeting of civilians by Indian forces may amount to crimes against humanity under international criminal law. The pattern of atrocities included mass killings, torture, enforced disappearances, sexual violence, and destruction of property carried out as part of a systematic attack against the civilian population.
Despite the extensive documentation of atrocities, no Indian military personnel have faced criminal prosecution for the crimes committed during the deployment. Successive Indian governments have failed to acknowledge the systematic nature of the violations, with then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi praising the Indian military for its "outstanding discipline" just months after the Valvettithurai massacre.
Legacy of Impunity
The Indian military intervention fundamentally changed the relationship between India and Sri Lankan Tamils, transforming India from perceived savior to enemy in Tamil consciousness. The resistance to Indian military presence escalated dramatically following the documented atrocities, ultimately leading to the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by the LTTE in 1991.
The failure to prosecute those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Indian military deployment has contributed to a culture of impunity that continues to affect accountability for mass atrocities in South Asia. The International Truth and Justice Project continues to call for criminal accountability, reparations for victims, and the construction of memorials to honor those killed.
The Indian military's conduct in Sri Lanka between 1987-1990 represents a clear case of systematic crimes against humanity perpetrated against the Sri Lankan population under the guise of peacekeeping operations.
Comments
Post a Comment