Monument of Aranthalawa Massacre
It was 7.15 in the morning of June 2nd 1987 when a bus filled with
Novice Buddhist Monks, their mentor Chief Priest Ven. Hegoda Indrasara
and few civilians were stopped near the village of Nuwerathanne. They
were going on a pilgrimage from
their temple in Mahavapi to the
Kelaniya
Raja Maha Vihara.
They were being stopped by 20 armed carders of the ruthless
tamil terrorist organisation called the LTTE (Tamil Tigers). The bus
driver was ordered to drive the bus in to the Jungles of Aranthalawa.
The moment the bus was stopped some Tamil Tigers opened fire on the
novice monks and others started hacking and chopping these barely teen
children of Buddha with swards and knives. Buddhist monks by Vinaya rules
or canonical law cannot hold arms for their protection.
The monumnet by the main road of Ampara - Mahaoya
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In the end
there was 31 bodies in saffron robes drenched with blood including
the Chief monks and 4 bodies of civilians. Four novice monks escaped
death with critical injuries and Three bikkus are living with medical aid
and another Bhikku is permanently disabled. This was the bloodiest
bloodbath on civilians of the Tamil Tigers for years to come.
In 2003, the
Helabima Organisation
and the STF (Special Task Force) got
to gether to build a monument near the very place that is Massacre took
place. Today this monuments stands alone in the middle of the Jungles
of Aranthalawa surrounded by trees of which witnessed this Massacre
over 20 years ago.
How to get there
Aranthalawa lies between Ampara and Maha Oya. There is a newer monument
with the statue of Chief Priest Ven. Hegoda Indrasara built by the road. In
front of this monument is a gravel road which leads to the place that the
Massacre took place. This gravel road is marked by a cement slab which
is visible only if you travel from the Mahaoya side.
After traveling about 50 metres on this gravel path you will come across
the monument which
is built upon a natural rock to mark the place of one of the most cruel
bloodbaths of the recent Sri Lankan history.
Created : December 25, 2009
Updated :
December 25, 2009
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