Sri Lanka, Oct. 20 -- Survivors and relatives of victims of the 1989 Valvettithurai massacre have submitted a formal reparations claim to the Sri Lankan Office for Reparations, seeking USD 15 million (approximately LKR 4.5 billion) in compensation for killings and destruction carried out by the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) 36 years ago.

The submission was announced at a press conference on Sunday (Oct. 19) at the Vadamarachchi Press Club in Jaffna, where survivors and family members lit lamps and laid floral tributes in memory of those killed.

The claim, filed by the Citizens' Committee of Valvettithurai, is reportedly the first to demand reparations for a mass atrocity committed by a foreign military on Sri Lankan soil. A copy of ...