This week marks 36 years since the Sri Lankan military carried out organized massacres and forced evictions of Tamils living in the Manal Aru region, for the sole purpose of seizing their lands in order to settle Sinhalese people there.

These massacres took place over the period of December 1 to December 15, 1984, and were targeted towards Tamils living in Manal Aru, Othiyamalai, Amarivayal, Thennamarawadi, Kokkilai and other neighbouring coastal villages.

On December 2, 1984, Tamil men from the Othiyamalai village were rounded up by the Sri Lankan military and were shot at and killed. Some were detained and were believed to have been killed too.

On December 3, 1984, the Sri Lankan military randomly fired at people in Manal Aru. Several were chased away by the military and their homes were set on fire. These were people who had lived in Manal Aru all their lives.

Amarivayal, an old Tamil village in the Trincomalee district - neglected by the state, was subject to repeated harassment by Sinhalese people who wanted to seize their farmland. They were threatened that they would be attacked if they didn’t leave the village.