Mullaitivu Timeline 1

1 2 3 4
1
Woman 1 My native place is Kokkuthoduwai. I was born in 1982 and I am 31 years old. I was the 5th child in our family. I have 4 brothers and 3sisters. We were living there happily. During 1984 we were displaced and lived in Murippu. The school in Murippu was 4 miles away from the place we stayed and my siblings and myself had to go to school by walk. We were poor and could not buy bicycles. When we were displaced we had left behind all our belongings, the livestock including poultry and our bicycles. We left with only the clothes we were wearing. We were in severe hardships. We were all small children when we were displaced. Our mother educated all of us well. We all have studied up to O/L and A/L. Then most of us were employed and we were making a better living. Now 06 of my brothers and sisters are married. Only my sister and myself are living with our parents. During the war were experiencing untold hardships. We did not have proper food or education. Now we have returned to our native place Kokkuthoduwai. We should not undergo the same ordeal now. We don’t want war now. We should live in peace and harmony in our own village. Our village Kokkuthoduwai is a resourceful village and we wish that it should return back to the former state.
Woman 2 I was born in Kokkuthoduwai in 1982. My father and mother were engaged in cultivation activities. I still remember that they cultivated chilli-pepper. We were 10 siblings, 5 males and 5 females. I studied up to grade 5 in the school in Kokkuthoduwai. One day I was so stubborn that I refused to go to school without having a pencil. My mother in her anger threw a fire-wood on me and my cheek bone was fractured. This was an unforgettable incident. After that I had never gone to school. My mother died in 1983. We were displaced in 1984 and stayed in the C. C. School. I met the person whom I married later at my aunt’s place. He proposed his love to me and I refused saying that my parents will beat me. He told my parents if they did not give me in marriage to him, he would take poison. We were married and we had 6 children. My eldest daughter has studied up to grade 8. She suffered from brain-fever and after recovering she did not go to school. When she was 17 years old she was married. My second child was a son. He has studied up to grade 9 and was working a motor mechanic. He took-up this job because he feared that he could be conscripted by the movement. he was looking after us with his earnings. When we were returning from Mulliwaikkal we feared that he might me taken by the army and so we married him to one of our nieces. The next one was a boy of 13 years, studied up to grade 7. He was killed in a bombing attack by Kiffir. The next one was a girl. We gave her in marriage when she was 17 years old because we feared that she could be conscripted by the movement. They are doing manual work and others are studying. I have now grand children and they are fond of me We would have been dead long ago if not for the grand children. This is the actual story. The eldest of the grand children, a boy and he is studying in grade 7. The next grand child is a girl and she is studying in grade 3. Two more are in the nursery.
Woman 3 I was born in Kokkuthoduwai in 1967. My father and mother were manual labour workers in the farm. We are 9 children in our family, 7 males and 2 females. I was the 5th girl child. I studied up to grade 8 in the school in Kokkuthoduwai and after that they stopped from going to school. The other older children also stopped going to school and worked in the farm as manual labourers. The elder brother and second brother got married. But the rest were studying. We were first displaced in 1984 and following this we were displaced to 10 places. I got married when we were in Kumulamunai. It was a proposed marriage. My husband was 39 years old and he was working as a driver. We had two children. When I was pregnant with my second child my husband quarreled with me and had left me. I am living with my children with much difficulties. My youngest brother was looking after me together with our parents. One of children is studying in the O/L class and the other one in Grade 7. All my brothers and sisters have got married and gone. But the youngest brother who looked after us was killed in a shell attack. After the incident my mother was mentally disturbed. She would walk here and there. My father was also injured and he could not do any work. My brothers also help me whenever possible. I am doing manual labour work to support my family.
Woman 4 I was born in Kokkuthoduwai in 1970. My father was a farmer. We are 7 children in our family, 5 females and 3 males. I studied up to grade 8 in the school in Mullaitivu. I got married in 92, when I was 22 years old. It was a love marriage and my husband was from Trincomalee. I do cultivation work. We were in Muthaiyankattu till 2008. I met by husband in 1990. We were living in a small hut provided by the movement. He was in the neighbouring house. When he saw me he came asked our parents. The marriage took place within a day. I had my first baby in 1993, the second child ( Boy) in 1996, the third child (girl) in 1999, the fourth child (girl) in 2001, the fifth child (girl) in 2004. I came to him only with my year stud but he looked after me well. We were prosperous with Jewellery and a motor-bicycle and we did even celebrate our daughters age attaining ceremony in 2006. We celebrated the first birthday of our eldest son in 1994 and the first birthday of our third (girl) child in 2000. My husband’s family members were very kind people. His sister looked after us well. She died in 2009. His brothers are looking after me. I am now living with my sister-in-law. They are looking after us. I do not have any communication with my parents. My elder brother’s family is not helping us. Only my second brother’s family is helping us and no others. I do not talk to my parents.
2
Woman 1 Our native place is Kokkuthoduwai. We were displaced in 1984 and we were living in Thanneer Ootru Murippu. We lived there happily for 23 years. Then in 2007 I went to work because of the difficult situation in the family. On the way to work there was aerial bombing attack by Kiffir and I saw people and children running helter-skelter. I was also running to escape and one of my feet got twisted. Our family situation was bad and we were in dire poverty. Our family was a large one and there were 10 members in our family including my parents. My brothers and sisters whether they were married or not, they were all working and we were living happily. In 2009 the war raged and shells landed around our house. The shelling and explosions continued and we could not sleep, eat or go to work. We were displaced again and went to Thevipuram. There also we experienced artillery shelling. We were so afraid of being pierced by bullets and for safety we were living in a bunker. We ate, sleep inside the bunker. While we were living there a shell landed closer to our tent and the tarpaulin sheets and all our belongings too got burnt. We were displaced again and came to Mulliwaikkal. We had constructed a bunker inside our house. There also we experienced continuous shelling and bullet rounds. I witnessed with my own eyes, the burning of houses due to shell and bomb attacks, and people and children losing their limbs. I was a horrific experience that I saw dead bodies, the injured people who were being carried to the hospitals.
Woman 2 The war started with the displacements in July 1984. From then ownwards we were in Alampil, 6th Mile post. We cleared the jungle at 6th Mile post and were living there. When the Indian Army came in 1989, we left the place and came to Kollupity. In 1990 we were sent to Kokkuthoduwai by the Government. Then in 1991 the communal riots started and the notices were thrown off from aircrafts asking us to leave the place. We again came back to 6th Mile post and were living there. My daughter was pregnant at the time. Again we left the place in 1992 and went to Poothanvayal. When we were doing cultivation and during the time we were about to reap the benefits, the owners of the land will come and claim their lands. This is our sorrowful story. Once we had dug a well and planted coconut seedlings the owners came and evicted us and we went to Neeravippitty. Then in 1999 in Murippu, my son was killed in a bombing incident by Kiffir and my sister and her daughter also died. We returned back to Neeravippitty. In Neeravippitty my brother was killed in a bombing incident by Kiffir. Another brother of mine died of high fever. Then from there we went to Hijrapuram. In 2001 we came back to Murippu and lived there. In 2009 we went to Neeravippitty again. Fearing that army was coming through the jungle we went to Keppapilavu. Then we went to Puthukudiyiruppu and later to Kaiveli. Then we moved on to Iranaippalai and finally came to Mulliwaikkal boarder. There was continuous shell attack. If we construct a bunker in the morning then we may have to construct another one in the evening. I will keep by grand childred abreast. After sending them to the bunker only we cook. The kidnappers of children were roaming around. Lot of people were injured when they went to fetch water. When children went out to get gruel they got their heads cut by fragments of shell explosion. We will remain inside the bunker for three days without food or water. Lot of people died inside the bunker without water.
Woman 3 We were first displaced in 1984 and following this we had been to 10 places. We also had run to Puthukudiyiruppu during the Jayasikuru army operation. The fighter planes and aircraft will come and bomb. The bomb looked like a tube and when it falls on the ground it will explode. Some people took that metal tube and made handles for their knives. In 2008 only we ran seriously. We went to Thevipuram and there too Shell attacks continued. We a bunker and lived there. One day a shell landed on the bunker inside the tent which was opposite to ours and all the inmates died. When we were in Kombavil aerial bombing by Kiffir was taking place. When many people converge at a spot or moving around shell attacks and Kiffir attacks will continue. Then we ran to Maththalan. The place was sandy and we could not construct bunkers. We put up the tent and lived there. A shell landed on the neighbouring tent and a child died. Then we ran to Mulliwaikkal where my brother was. My brother helped us to construct a bunker. My brothers wife got injured and their child and father-in-law died. They ran to the hospital in Maththalan. We again came to Mullikkadu. The difficulties we underwent to feed the children cannot be described. Rice unfit to eat was selling at Rs. 3000/- a Kilo, and 100 gms of sugar was selling at Rs. 500/-. When my brother went out to buy those items only he got killed.
Woman 4 We were displaced since 1984 and had lived in 12 places due to displacements which took place at an interval of one to two years, within the district of Mullaitivu. And finally we were displaced into Irattaivaikkal and were living there in a tent. 11 people including my husband and my 5 children died in a shell attack. Later with the help of my brother, I came to Valagnarmadam and then to Mulliwaikkal and stayed there for 10 days. I was injured due to a shell attack and. I got treatment at the Pokkanai hospital. Then we came to Vattuwan in 2009. Then the army kept us in the fields and then sent us to Chettikulam camp. My hausband and my five children (4 daughters and 1 son) died in front of my own eyes. Their corpses were scattered there without limbs and heads and it was an unbearable sight. They cremated my husband and son without showing me. I did not stay in the ward in the hospital because I feared that they might take me to the ship. Therefore I got my wounds dressed and came back. Both my eardrums were damaged and were bleeding. I couldn’t eat and I lived on milk for one month. later when I was in the chettikulam camp my brother and his family looked after me well. When I was coming my father and mother were dead on account of a shell attack. I witnessed so many people killed by the shell attacks. It was a horrific scene where corpses remained with missing limbs in a pool o0f blood. My brotherr’s daughter was not affected by the shell but she died of a bullet. My sister also was killed in a shell attack when we were in Irattaivaikkal. There were so many corpses lying unattended and no one to bury those.
3
Woman 1 After several displacements since 2009, we finally came to Kadirgamar welfare centre in Vavuniya. From there we were resettled in Kokkuthoduwai on 81-02-2012. We put up a small boutique in our own land. The old well in our land was repaired with the help of ZOA organization. The UNHCR also provided assistance for putting up a temporary hut. Then we were provided with livelihood assistance. We were displaced and have returned to our native place after 30 years. We felt sad to see our land which was in a very bad state. We are happy that we have returned to our own village. The school inKokkuthoduwai is rebuilt. I hope that the children should study well and be better employed. When we left, we had lot of coconut palms, mango and jack trees in our land but now we don’t find any of those remaining. Our land looks like a barren land. We have fenced our land and now we have planted banana and coconut seedlings. A permanent housing scheme is being implemented by the Red-cross Society. We are living happily. Our younger generation should become good citizens and they all should achieve better living conditions. Our place should develop like Jaffna and Vavuniya. We should get electricity supply and better employment opportunities.
Woman 2 We have now returned to our own land in Kokkuthoduwai. When we returned our house was not there but instead there was bund. We cut the bund, spread the soil and put up a hut. The ZOA organization provided assistance to put up a temporary house with cement flooring, tin-sheet roofing and side cladding with coconut thatches. I am living here with my two sons. We have planted ground-nuts and after harvesting this only we would plant vegetables. My sons and I go for manual labour work. We will do all sorts of work like hand pounding rice flour, grinding chilly, weaving coconut leaf-thatches, removing the weeds, up-rooting ground nuts, planting chilly seedlings and onions, etc. I would earn Rs. 500/- per day. My sons too go for works such as clearing the cultivation plots, making irrigation channels, Masonary assistant, etc. They would earn Rs. 700/- to 800/- per day. However work would not be available every day. ZOA organization helped us to sink a well. They provided relief assistance at the beginning when we were in Murippu but now they have stooped that. Now even for labour work we have to go to Thanneer Ootru and Alampil areas. When we left our area it was full of coconut palms but now not a single one is remains. Nowadays weaving coconut leaf-thatches is decreased due to non-availability of coconut leaves. I also have become sickly. I cannot do work like earlier days. My grand children are studying. I don’t go to the hospital because there is no one to look after them. In future these people can’t do labour work. They should study to get employment opportunities.
Woman 3 We returned to Kokkuthoduwai from Muthaiyankattu in March 2012. We have put up a temporary house in our father’s land. Forut organization provided us assistance to put up a temporary house with cement flooring, tin-sheet roofing and side cladding with coconut thatches. The ZOA organization provided us a water pump. We can do cultivation but we do not have a well to irrigate. We are unable to use the water pump. I get a destitute allowance of Rs. 350/- from the government. I have become a member of the Women society. Forut has built a toilet for us. I find it difficult to buy even exercise books and pencils for my children. Labour work is not available, even for a day during a month is difficult. Since my brothers are helping me, I am able to make a living. I am growing vegetables such as long -beans, lady’s-finger and green leaves and use these for cooking meals. I also get some tailoring orders some times. I am not well nowadays and I go to Mullaitivu hospital to get medicine. It is difficult to go to work leaving my mother at home. She will run into the jungle. My two children are going to school and they are good in their studies.
Woman 4 We have come here from Muthaiyankattu in March 2012. I don’t have a land of my own here and I have not got any assistance. As I am a single person, I was provided with 12 nos. tin sheets by the Muthaiyankattu Kachcheri. I have put up a temporary hut with the help of my brother. I get a destitute allowance of Rs. 100/- from the government. I have to go to Muthaiyankattu to get this. I need to spend money for the bus fare to go and get this. Therefore I have not gone for more than an year. I am unable to do any work too because I can’t work in the fields. When I have my meals, I recollect as to what has happened to us earlier. I get money if anyone gives money. I do not have any problems for my meals because someone will give me. I don’t cook my meals very often. I need to go to work hereafter. I am thinking of going for up-rooting ground nuts. What else, the new year is coming and I need assistance.
4
Woman 1 We are four in the family. My parents my sister and myself. My father is sickly and cannot do any work. My mother is the president of the women’s society. My sister is studying in grade 9 and I am working as a pre-school teacher. My aspiration is that I should look after my parents well and to educate my sister. I am not yet married as we are not financially sound to pay any dowry for me. We have returned to our own place after 30 years. We have our own land here. We have lost all our money and Jewells while we were in Mulliwaikkal. We are building a house of our own in our land and thereafter we should work and save money. Kokkuthoduwai is a very resourceful village. We can get all kinds of works here. Now we have got freedom and there are people who speak three languages in Sri Lanka. These people should not look into ethnic differences and should live happily and united. No differences such as caste and religion should exist. My desire is that, we should forget the past and think of the future.
Woman 2 I village which was full resources like coconut palms and Mango, Jack and lime trees is now looking like a jungle. Before we all die, We should get back to the previous state of living. Our village needs Medical facilities, educational facilities and a proper cooperative Society. My grand children should educate themselves as much as they can. Industries such as coir making, poultry farming, dairy farming and dolls making should be established so that the younger generation could benefit. There shouldn’t be a war again and no differences should exist. All our children should live in peace and harmony. We always think of our daily existence but Instead we never think of how we could construct our house.
Woman 3 My desire is that all our children should be educated well and better employed. They need not take mamotees and axes. They should in the government service. There should be avenues for me to work. The village should return back to its original state of glory We do not enjoy freedom today. All our paddy cultivatable lands are gone. We need a country where we could live in peace. It would be better if our lands are returned back to us.
Woman 4 I have not got any assistance yet. I don’t have no relatives. My desire is that I should be able to look after myself. Therefore I need assistance to put up a small business or a boutique. I should prefer to become obliged to the relatives of my husband rather than to my relatives. Then only I would be able to live in peace. People who are no more is no more. The children who have survived should live in peace. There is no one for me but I will not die. People would talk differently. Therefore why should I die? I have to live.