Survivors and relatives of victims of the 1989 Valvettithurai massacre have filed a formal reparations claim with the Office for Reparations, seeking USD 15 million (around LKR 4.5 billion) in compensation for killings and destruction allegedly carried out by the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) 36 years ago.
The announcement was made at a press conference held on Sunday (Oct. 19) at the Vadamarachchi Press Club in Jaffna, where survivors and families lit oil lamps and laid floral tributes in memory of those who lost their lives.
The claim, submitted by the Citizens’ Committee of Valvettithurai, is said to be the first formal demand for reparations over a mass atrocity committed by a foreign military on Sri Lankan soil.
A copy of the claim and a detailed report containing eyewitness accounts and documentation of damages was also handed over to President’s Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran, who is expected to provide legal assistance to the applicants.
According to the committee, the reparations claim seeks justice, acknowledgment, and accountability for the civilian casualties and property destruction caused during the IPKF operations in Valvettithurai in 1989.
