@mrpaluvets

Kattankudy is a name you’ve probably come across often when reading about the Tamil struggle in Sri Lanka or the Sri Lankan civil war. This predominantly Muslim town in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka has long been a hotspot of communal violence and ethnic tensions. The Kattankudy mosque massacre of 1990 is remembered as one of the most tragic and shocking events of the conflict. Yet, despite its severity, this massacre remains poorly investigated and has too often been used to unfairly frame the Tamil struggle in a negative light. While the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were widely blamed, they have consistently denied any involvement. What many fail to mention is that this massacre happened just a kilometer away from a Sri Lankan military camp, in an area firmly controlled by the then Sri Lankan state. It is difficult to imagine such an operation taking place without the knowledge or at least tacit consent of the Sri Lankan military. Another crucial aspect often overlooke...