Eyewitness in Sri Lanka
FEATURE STORY | UPDATED: May 13, 2009
“Shelling all the time, the children screamed of fear”
My name is Manjula. I come from Mullaithivu.
When the major fighting started there, we were informed of the army’s advance by the LTTE and we kept shifting accordingly. Finally we all got trapped in a small village. A big sand bund with barbed wires was constructed by the LTTE.
Screaming for food
We were provided meals. Sometimes Kanji was given, sometime rice with one curry. As days passed even that was not available. I was not able to feed my child because I myself was starving. My child was screaming for food. Sometimes people who had some biscuits would share them with us. But my daughter was getting bored with this and started to refuse to take biscuits.
Shelling not to bear
There were many families like us. We all were wondering as to what to do. There was firing and shelling all the time. Once, a shell fell among a group of five people. Two of them died on the spot and others were severely injured. They were bleeding. First aid treatment was given by some people in the camp. Every time, a shelling or firing took place, there was a retaliatory attack by the LTTE. The children used to scream and shout for fear. We were not able to bear this.
Escape
My husband decided to escape; he made nine attempts. On his third try he was caught by the LTTE and was severely beaten on his head. Finally, some men in the village got together and broke the sand bund and started escaping. I was holding a bag packed with my daughter’s clothes and my husband carrying our daughter. We could hear firing from behind and just kept running. When we came near Nanthikadal, we saw a bullet sort of thing coming towards us. Both of us just sat on the ground. However, it fell down and struck my feet. A little later, it started burning. My husband made me to get up and run. I had no option but to run along with him. I could not run fast due to the burning and pain in my feet.
To restart our lives, a peaceful day
When we reached Nanthikadal and we had to cross the river. The water was up to my neck. My husband was carrying my daughter on his shoulders. As we crossed the river, the army came and rescued us. At the army camp, the wounds in my feet were cleaned and dressed.
“My daughter was about 14 kg three months ago. When we reached the camp, a medical team was screening the children and taking their weight. I was told by one of the doctors that my child weighed only 9.5 kg.
Now, we are here waiting for a peaceful day to restart our lives …
“She was hit by a bullet and fell down”
I am Sunthari.
I arrived at this camp in Vavuniya on the 23rd April along with my husband and three children after being displaced from Kilinochchi about 6 months back. I am 36 years old. I got married in Jaffna when I was 23 years old. We were living together happily.
In 2006, I went along with my husband to Kilinochchi to see my husband’s sister who was sick. Since she was a widow and bed ridden, I was helping her to look after her two children until her mother came. By the time, we were ready to go back to Jaffna, the A9 road was closed and we were stranded in Kilinochchi.
Refused to become a soldier
My husband and I tried to go to Vavuniya, and from Vavuniya to Trincomalee and use the ship services to go back to Jaffna. Our attempts were not successful. Due to our age, the LTTE refused us permission. On one occasion, I was informed that I could go to Jaffna along with my children provided my husband joined the LTTE. Since we disagreed, we were not given permission. We were hoping and praying for the day that would enable us to go back to our own place in Jaffna.
The war broke out during this time and we were displaced many times in Kilinochchi. As the army advanced we moved with the other people further and further into the interior and finally reached Mulliaithivu.
Fired on by escaping
We were a group of 20 persons and we all decided to escape to the government controlled area. While we were escaping, the LTTE started firing from the rear. At the same time, the army was firing from front at the LTTE. During this process, my sister-in-law was hit by a bullet and fell down. We were not able to help her. She was shouting and screaming with pain. At the same time, she also said not to worry about her but at least to save her children. Once we reached the army point, we informed them about our sister- in- law.
“They shot my sister-in-law”
Later the same day in the evening, the army informed us that they had retrieved some bodies and we were allowed to go and see them. I found my sister-in-law’s body.
At the army point we were given food parcels. For the first time in three weeks, we ate rice with curries. During our displacement all what we ate was “Kanji” (porridge) and occasionally biscuits or rice with water and salt. People who had money were able to buy items like soya meat, coconut, potato, sugar etc. But, the prices of these items were so high that we could not afford it. A kilo of sugar was sold for LKR2500 (21 USD), one coconut was LKR 3000 (26USD) and 100 grams soya meat LKR400, which is 3,5 USD.
Lost the children
Our stay at the army point lasted for two days. Then we were brought to Vavuniya by bus. During this time, I had lost my sister-in-law’s children and her mother. Though I am happy that my family is saved and are able to have a temporary roof over our head in this camp, I constantly worry about the whereabouts of my relatives who came with us.
