Krishanti Kumaraswamy

Infobox Person
name = Krishanti Kumaraswamy


image_size = 100px
caption = Krishanti Kumaraswamy
birth_date = 1978
birth_place = Jaffna, Sri Lanka
death_date = death date|1996|8|7|mf=y
death_place = Jaffna, Sri Lanka
occupation = Student
parents = Rassammah and Kumarswamy

Krishanti Kumaraswamy, also spelled Krishanthi Kumaraswamy, was a minority Tamil girl in Sri Lanka who was raped and murdered in 7 August 1996 by 6 Sri Lankan Army soldiers, and who was a cause celebre of the Sri Lanka civil war because of this.

Incident

On August 7, 1996 Krishanthy Kumaraswamy went missing on her way home after sitting her GCE Advanced Level examination which equivalent to grade 12 in many countries at Chundikuli Girls High School. She was last seen alive at 11.30 am at Kaithady Army checkpoint in Jaffna.

Her mother "Rassammah", brother "Pranavan" (Age 16) and family friend Mr. "Kirupakaran" (Age 35) who became concerned and went in search of Krishanthy. They were also murdered. cite web |url= http://www.unesco.org/courier/1999_09/uk/dires/txt1.htm|title= SUNILA ABEYSEKERA: PEACE CAMPAIGNER ON A WAR-TORN ISLAND |accessdate=2007-08-11 |format= |work=Collection ]

According to pro-rebel Tamilnet Forty five days later, the bodies of the four were later found in shallow graves within the army base. A three quarter width rope was found tied round the neck of mother Rassammah’s corpse. Mr Kirupakaran too appeared to have been strangled in the same manner since the rope was wound tightly round his body. The bodies of Krishanthy and her brother Pranavan were cut in several pieces and haphazardly wrapped in black colored sheets. cite web |url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=21102|title=Jaffna MPCS President assassinated|accessdate=2007-02-02 |format= |work=Tamilnet ]

Later investigations revealed that she was abducted by five soldiers and another six gang raped and killed her at the checkpoint. [cite web
last = Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
authorlink =
title = Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
work =
publisher = United States Department of State
date = 2002-02-23
url = http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2000/sa/index.cfm?docid=704
accessdate = 2006-12-28 ]

Government investigation

Amnesty International and other human rights organizations like Women for Peace [cite web |url=http://www.unesco.org/courier/1999_09/uk/dires/txt1.htm
title= Sunila Abeysekara: Peace campaign on a war torn Island |date =2007-02-02 |format= |work=UNESCO.org ] launched a sustained campaign to pressure the Sri Lankan government to arrest and prosecute the soldiers. Six soldiers who were directly involved in the raping were sentenced to death by the court of the government of Sri Lanka. [cite web
last =
authorlink =
title = Death sentence for Krishanthi accused
work =
publisher = Tamilnet
date = 1998-07-03
url = http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=1709
accessdate = 2006-12-28 ]

In the court case about her rape and murder one of the accused informed the state about an alleged mass grave known as Chemmani mass graves that was investigated to contain 15 bodies.cite news | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2006/01/060104_chemmani_ag.shtml| first = | last = | title = 'No instructions on Chemmani' CID | publisher = BBC | date = 4 January, 2006]

Related to incident

According to pro-rebel Tamilnet, a local activist who worked to expose her case was killed by unknown gunmen on February 1, 2007.

ee also

*Arumaithurai Tharmaletchumi
*Ida Carmelitta
*Ilayathambi Tharsini
*Mary Madeleine
*Murugesapillai Koneswary
*Premawathi Manamperi
*Premini Thanuskodi
*Sarathambal
*Thambipillai Thanalakshmi

References

External links

* [http://sangam.org/JANAKA/Thanga6_21_01.htm The Rape and Murder of Teen Aged Krishanti Kumaraswamy by Soldiers]
* [http://www.asiafoundation.org/pdf/focusonsrilanka.pdf Focus on Sri Lanka]
* [http://www.lines-magazine.org/Art_Nov03/nimanthi_Deathpenalty.htm Violence Against Women and the Death Penalty: Appropriating the Feminist Agenda]
* [http://www.brynmawr.edu/peacestudies/faculty/Keenan/human_rights_sacred_cows.html Human Rights and Sacred Cows]