Eelaththu Nilavan
Location: Muttur, Trincomalee District, Northeast Sri Lanka
Date: 04 August 2006
On the 4th of August 2006, the world witnessed one of the gravest crimes committed during the Sri Lankan civil war — the mass murder of 17 humanitarian aid workers employed by the French NGO Action Contre la Faim (Action Against Hunger). All were unarmed civilians engaged in relief and development work, helping war-affected communities. Sixteen of them were ethnic Tamils, and one was a Muslim. This was not an accident of war — it was a premeditated massacre, widely regarded as one of the worst crimes against humanitarian workers in history.
The Victims – Killed for Their Tamil Identity
The 17 individuals killed were all local staff members of ACF, engaged in fields such as public health, water and sanitation, and logistics. On the day of the massacre, they were inside the ACF office in Muttur when the Sri Lankan Army took control of the town during clashes with the LTTE.
The names of the murdered victims are as follows:
1. G. Kavitha (27) – Hygiene Promotion Officer
2. S. Ganesh (54) – Driver (Father of Kavitha)
3. K. Kovarthani (28) – Hygiene Promotion Officer
4. S. Romila (25) – Hygiene Promotion Officer
5. V. Kokilavathani (29) – Hygiene Promotion Officer
6. G. Sritharan (36) – Advanced Field Officer
7. Primus Anandarajah – Assistant Program Manager
8. Mathavarasa Ketheeswaran (36) – Supervisor
9. M. Narmathan (24) – Field Officer
10. R. Arulraj (24) – Field Officer
11. P. Pratheeban (27) – Field Officer
12. M. Rishikeshan (28) – Field Officer
13. Y. Kodeeswaran (31) – Field Officer
14. I. Muraleetharan (35) – Driver
15. K. Koneshwaran (24) – Driver
16. A.L.M. Jauffer (31) – Field Officer (Muslim)
17. A. Jaseelan – Assistant
They were shot execution-style — lined up, hands over their heads, and shot in the back of the head — inside the ACF compound.
The Context and Crime:
At the time of the killings, fierce fighting was taking place between the Sri Lankan military and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). When the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) retook control of Muttur, they prevented international monitors from entering the area for days.
When the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) finally gained access, they were horrified by what they found:
● All 17 had been executed with shots to the head at close range.
● No signs of crossfire or battle damage around the office — this was not collateral damage.
● The SLMM concluded the Sri Lankan armed forces were responsible.
Investigations, Denials, and International Silence
Domestic Investigations – A Shameful Failure
Despite global outcry, no one has ever been held accountable for the killings. Sri Lankan authorities launched multiple investigations — all of which either collapsed or deliberately avoided identifying perpetrators.
Key failures include:
︎ Suppression of forensic evidence
︎ Intimidation of witnesses
︎ Blocked access to international observers
︎ Politically controlled commissions produce vague, inconclusive reports
The University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) conducted an independent investigation that pointed squarely at members of the Sri Lankan Navy, Army, and Police Special Task Force.
Action Against Hunger’s Findings
In 2013, ACF released a detailed report based on years of investigation. It named the Sri Lankan security forces as the responsible party, stating:
> “Our workers were executed in cold blood… The facts are clear, and there must be justice.”
Their campaign, titled “Justice for Muttur”, remains active to this day.
International Legal Opinions and Human Rights Pressure
Michael Birnbaum QC, a British barrister engaged by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), reviewed the case and concluded:
> “The investigation lacked integrity and independence… This was a war crime.”
● UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in 2014 acknowledged this case in its war crimes review, calling for an international accountability mechanism.
● Human Rights Watch described the massacre as “the most serious crime against humanitarian workers in recent history” and criticized the government’s culture of impunity.
● Amnesty International, Groundviews, and Sangam.org have all continuously called for justice.
Was This a War Crime? Yes.
The deliberate execution of humanitarian workers under the protection of international humanitarian law (e.g., the Geneva Conventions) constitutes a war crime. Furthermore, targeting victims because of their ethnicity (Tamil) adds the dimension of ethnic cleansing or genocide.
No meaningful steps have been taken by Sri Lanka to deliver justice. France, home of ACF, has failed to pressure Sri Lanka significantly. India, despite its regional influence and shared Tamil population, has also remained largely silent.
Remembering Muttur – A Permanent Scar on Tamil History
What happened in Muttur was not just the killing of 17 individuals — it was the deliberate erasure of Tamil identity and humanity under the guise of counter-terrorism. These individuals were not combatants. They were relief workers, educators, drivers, and social servants.
The international community’s silence, the Sri Lankan state’s cover-up, and the continued denial of justice all point to a disturbing reality: Tamil lives were expendable in the eyes of the system.
Today, nearly two decades later, the families of the victims still wait for justice. The world moves on, but we — the Tamil people — must not forget. Every August 4th must be remembered not just with grief, but with a call for international justice.
The Muttur Massacre is a symbol of:
● Ethnic violence
● State-led impunity
● International complicity
We must speak their names. We must preserve their stories. And we must demand justice.
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Sources: Action Against Hunger, SLMM Reports, ICJ, UNHRC, Human Rights Watch, University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna), Amnesty International, Groundviews, Sangam.org, TamilNet
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Amizhthu’s editorial stance.
