News

The twelve workers who were killed and the two who escaped death in the alleged Tiger attack at Omadiyamadu in the Welikanda area were engaged in an irrigation canal construction project for the Mahaweli Authority undertaken by a contractor.

The contractor was a businessman from Welikanda named P.G.A. Abeysuriya. Aged 50, he was popularly known as Mahadan Mudalali and was the president of the Traders’ Association there.

On May 29, the workers stopped work as usual around 5.00 pm. Suddenly, around 15 uniformed Tigers, armed with T 56 rifles are said to have surrounded the place.

What happened thereafter was known only to Upali Rajakaruna who escaped death and trudged to the Welikanda Police station and Priyadarshana Wijebandara who was admitted to the Polonnaruwa Hospital.

It was with injured Wijebandara’s tip-off that the security forces could initiate the Welikanda massacre investigations. According to Mr. Wijebandara, the LTTE surrounded them when they were about to get onto the tractor after completion of the day’s work.

“There were all 13 of us, including Mr. Abeysooriya, the contractor. The LTTE took us to Omadiyamadu from Ransaratenna. We were shot after we were made to kneel down, lined up and our hands were tied at the back. I escape after they left the place,” Mr. Wijebandara recollected.

“It was 2.00 pm when I reported for work after returning from my home at Galnewa, where I had gone on leave. Around 4.30 pm when the workers were getting ready to go home, about 15 Tigers came and surrounded the place.

“They tied our hands behind our backs. They did not instill any fear in us. They took our money and asked us how the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government was faring. Then suddenly I was shot and down I went. The blood of the man next to me was all over my body.

“I pretended to be dead. I saw one of my fellow-workers trying to get up and crying in pain. Around 7.00 pm I got up and left the place and walked to a Tamil populated village and from there to Welikanda,” Upali Rajakaruna said.

When the Police and SLMM visited the place it was already full with the public and reporters.

About 100 families were settled in Ranseratenna after it was named the Mahaweli B Zone. However, following the constant LTTE attacks, it became almost uninhabited, with all the paddy-fields being abandoned.

Omadiyamadu, located north of Ranseratenna is not under government control. Its residents live in constant fear that their children would become forced recruits of the LTTE and also being an area targeted by the Army.

P.G.A. Abeysuriya was awarded the Rs. 80 million Saudi Arabia-funded contract by the Authority. He recruited a large workforce from villages on a daily wage of Rs. 350.

Seven Mahaweli farmers from Maithregama village joined the workforce. Young men from Monaratenna village joined the team as tractor drivers.

Working hours were from 7.00 am to 4.30 pm. The workers resided 10 to 15 kms away from their site located about 20 kms from Welikanda in the Vakarai Grama Niladhari division.

The closest police station was at Valaichchenai. Though the area was supposed to be close to Tiger territory, the labourers went on with their work sans fear. However two residents of Mahasengama are reported to have been absent for two days due to the LTTE threats.

A relative of one of the dead men said the area was not suitable for farming. According to him leaders like D.S. Senanayake were of the opinion that this area was good only for growing trees as raw material for the Valaichchenai paper factory. He added that the people had left the area in fear of the Tigers.

Meanwhile, LTTE Eastern area chief Daya Mohan categorically denied the allegations that it was involved in the incident, stating that LTTE had no need of massacring innocent civilians.

The magisterial inquiry on the deaths was conducted by Polonnaruwa District Judge K. Sivagnanasunderam and Additional District Judge Ms. Chandanie Meegoda.