2005 Inuvil shooting and protests

August 2024 2005 Inuvil shooting and protests 2005 08 04 yes Inuvil, Sri Lanka 9 43 00.7 N 80 01 18.7 E region:LK inline,title Sri Lanka Northern Province Location Inuvil in northern Sri Lanka Inuvil 9 43 00.7 N 80 01 18.7 E 2 1 On 4 August 2005, a barber was accidentally shot dead by soldiers in Inuvil in northern Sri Lanka. A police officer was abducted and killed in the subsequent protests by locals. Shooting At around 1 PM on 4 August 2005, five soldiers arrived at a barbershop at Inuvil Junction on the Jaffna-Kankesanturai road in Inuvil.Haran Shree Killing in northern Sri Lanka: a sign of sharp tensions https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2005/08/sril-a12.html 1 February 2024 World Socialist Web Site International Committee of the Fourth International 12 August 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20220628010114/https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2005/08/sril-a12.html 28 June 2022 Oak Park, USA Three of the soldiers handed over their firearms to the other two who stepped outside.Kamalendran Chris Mob Injustice https://www.sundaytimes.lk/050807/news/27.html 1 February 2024 The Sunday Times Wijeya Newspapers 7 August 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20240123182717/https://www.sundaytimes.lk/050807/news/27.html 23 January 2024 Colombo, Sri Lanka As two of the soldiers were having their hair cut, a firearm discharged from outside, piercing the flimsy metal frontage of the barbershop and hitting barbers Jeyaseelan Shantharubann (23) and K. Logathas (29). Shantharubann, a native of the Trincomalee District living in Kondavil and working in his uncle's barbershop, was pronounced dead on arrival at Jaffna Hospital.Jaffna tense: Civilian shot dead by SLA, angry mob kills police officer https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=15541 1 February 2024 TamilNet 4 August 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20231130144130/https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=15541 30 November 2023 Logathas was treated for shock. Protests As news of the shooting spread, tension mounted in the area and locals began to gather at the scene at around 3 PM. Troops stationed nearby also rushed to scene, but were met by an angry crowd that blocked the road by cutting down nearby trees, burnt tyres and stoned army vehicles. The protestors demanded that the soldiers, who they claimed had deliberately shot the barbers, be brought to justice. With around 1,000 people taking part in the protests, police from nearby Achchuveli and Chunnakam arrived at the scene together with the riot squad. By 5 PM, the situation was worsening when Superintendent Charles Wijewardena arrived with reinforcements. Wijewardena, the most senior police officer at the scene, decided to negotiate with the protestors and walked over to them, leaving the police position which was some distance from the protestors. As dusk fell, the police lost sight of Wijewardena who had disappeared. Eyewitnesses claimed that Wijewardena had been taken captive by protestors and taken away from the protest site. A search operation was mounted and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), an organization responsible for monitoring of the ceasefire between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), was informed of Wijewardena's disappearance. Wijewardena's body was found in Palavodai on the Inuvil-Suthumalai road about 2 km from the shooting site. His body had cut and stab wounds and he was in a sarong rather than trousers. The protesters dispersed after a curfew was imposed, initially in the Valikamam region only and later the whole of the Jaffna District.Jaffna under police curfew https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=15545 1 February 2024 TamilNet 4 August 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20230928104735/https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=15545 28 September 2023 Wijewardena's funeral was held on 7 August 2005 in his hometown of Kurunegala.Jayaratna Pushpakumara Jaffna was like home to him https://www.sundaytimes.lk/050807/news/22.html 1 February 2024 The Sunday Times Wijeya Newspapers 7 August 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20240123182717/https://www.sundaytimes.lk/050807/news/22.html 23 January 2024 Colombo, Sri Lanka Investigation On 5 August 2005, police from Manipay produced five soldiers before Mallakam magistrate Sarjoini Illangovan in connection with the shooting incident. The two soldiers who had been possession of the firearms during the incident were remanded until 20 August 2005.Two soldiers remanded in Inuvil killing https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=15556 1 February 2024 TamilNet 5 August 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20221128212901/https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=15556 28 November 2022 On 17 August 2005, police, supported by the army, arrested LTTE official Kathiramalai Vaitheehan (alias Gopi, alias Veerapandiyan) at his parents' house in Kaladdy, Kokkuvil in connection with Wijewardena's killing.Two policemen shot, Jaffna tense https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=15661 1 February 2024 TamilNet 17 August 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20221130045016/https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=15661 30 November 2022Sri Lankan military heightens tensions in the North and East https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2005/09/sril-s07.html 1 February 2024 World Socialist Web Site International Committee of the Fourth International 7 September 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20210728000833/https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2005/09/sril-s07.html 28 July 2021 Oak Park, USA Two police officers (N. M. Hemage and L. Jeyalath) were injured during the arrest.Gobi, killer supspect of SSP arrested https://www.bbc.com/sinhala/news/story/2005/08/050817_arrest17 1 February 2024 BBC Sinhala 17 August 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20240111142948/https://www.bbc.com/sinhala/news/story/2005/08/050817_arrest17 11 January 2024 London, UK The LTTE complained to the SLMM that Gopi's arrest violated the 2002 ceasefire agreement.LTTE complains to SLMM against the abduction of Gopi https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=15664 1 February 2024 TamilNet 17 August 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20221128221531/https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=15664 28 November 2022 Colombo magistrate Sarojini Kusala Weerawardene released Gopi on 26 October 2005 after the Attorney General's Department informed the court that there was no evidence against him to file an indictment.Gopi released, Court denies protection https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=16188 1 February 2024 TamilNet 27 October 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20221130213020/https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=16188 30 November 2022 None of the witnesses, which included police officers, were able to identify Gopi during the identification parade at Colombo Magistrate's Court on 16 September 2005.SSP killing: ‘transfer case to Colombo’ https://www.bbc.com/sinhala/news/story/2005/09/050918_ssp_killing 1 February 2024 BBC Sinhala 18 September 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20240111142949/https://www.bbc.com/sinhala/news/story/2005/09/050918_ssp_killing 11 January 2024 London, UK Gopi, fearing for his life, requested that the court provide security for him but Weerawardene refused, stating that she did not have the power to do so. The University Teachers for Human Rights accused Easwaran, the LTTE's political commissar for Nallur, of playing a leading role in the abduction and killing of Wijewardena.Statement: Impunity in the Name of Peace: Norway’s Appeasement Strategy Claims Another Victim https://uthr.org/Statements/Impunity%20in%20the%20name%20of%20Peace.htm University Teachers for Human Rights https://web.archive.org/web/20051202035734/https://uthr.org/Statements/Impunity%20in%20the%20name%20of%20Peace.htm 2 December 2005 Jaffna, Sri Lanka usurped 17 August 2005 Reactions President Chandrika Kumaratunga issued a statement on the morning of 5 August 2005 condemning the shooting and ordering the authorities to fully investigate the incident and to bring the perpetrators to justice without delay.SL President denounces Jaffna killings https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=15552 1 February 2024 TamilNet 5 August 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20230205011956/https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=15552 5 February 2023 She also posthumously promoted Wijewardena to Senior Superintendent of Police. Later that day she issued another statement in which she blamed the two soldiers for the incident, stating that they had contravened military regulations on several counts. The army claimed that they had photographic evidence to prove that the shooting was an accident and that the gun had misfired.It is a mistake says army https://www.bbc.com/sinhala/news/story/2005/08/050806_daya 1 February 2024 BBC Sinhala 6 August 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20210505211916/https://www.bbc.com/sinhala/news/story/2005/08/050806_daya 5 May 2021 London, UKSSP kidnapped & killed https://www.bbc.com/sinhala/news/story/2005/08/050804_armyatt 1 February 2024 BBC Sinhala 4 August 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20240111143009/https://www.bbc.com/sinhala/news/story/2005/08/050804_armyatt 11 January 2024 London, UK They accused the LTTE of mud slinging and of instigating Wijewardena's killing. The army did, however, admit that the soldiers had broken regulations by going to the barbershop, as hair cutting facilities are provided at army barracks. Most mainstream Sinhalese media outlets were virtually silent on Shantharubann's killing but, like the military, were quick to blame the LTTE for Wijewardena's killing without providing any evidence. The LTTE denied any involvement. References Category:2005 murders in Sri Lanka Category:2005 riots Category:Attacks on civilians attributed to the Sri Lanka Army Category:August 2005 in Asia Category:Deaths by firearm in Sri Lanka Category:Deaths by stabbing in Sri Lanka Category:Riots and civil disorder in Sri Lanka