Murugesapillai Koneswary
Encyclopedia
Murugesapillai Koneswary or Koneswary Murugesapillai was a minority Sri Lankan Tamil woman who was raped and killed on 17 May 1997 as part of the ongoing Sri Lankan civil war
. The rape and murder received extensive local and international attention.
At 11pm that same day, Ms. Koneswary a mother of four was allegedly raped and killed by the police after carrying her four-year-old daughter away. It is reported that her rapists killed her by
exploding a grenade
on her abdomen thus destroying the evidence of any rape.
According to her neighbours, she had history of problems with the Central Camp police in the Kalmunai
district in eastern Sri Lanka. During that time she had been subjected to alleged persistent harassment at the Central camp checkpoint.
Two months before she was killed, some police officers had allegedly cut and took away a Margosa tree from her yard. Although she is reported to have filed a complaint with the officer in charge at Central Camp immediately, nothing was done. Subsequently Ms. Koneswary complained to a deputy inspector general in Ampara
, who intervened on her behalf, and instructed the local police to return the timber to the family. It was after this incident that the alleged verbal abuse and sexual harassment of Ms. Koneswary began.
On May 17, around 11 p.m., as described by her four-year-old daughter, some "uncles with guns" had entered the hut
carried the little girl outside and left her near a neighbour’s fence. According to villagers, Ms. Koneswary had that night sent her three other children to her relatives who were living nearby. The little girl is the only witness to the ensuing crime.
wrote,
The Centre for Women's Research in Sri Lanka (CENWOR) also protested the rape. It asked the Sri Lankan president The group also organized a protest march in the capital Colombo
.
The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
reportedly retaliated for the rape and murder by attacking a Sri Lankan military camp resulting in the death of 23 people. Furthermore, LTTE's female unit attacked the police station, wher Koneswary was allegedly raped, killing 15 police dead and more than 20 injured. After the attack an female LTTE cadre claimed "We wanted to avenge the rape of Koneswary Murugesupillai. We are proud that we were able to destroy the police station where she was raped and killed,".
ordered an inquiry into the crime by the local the Criminal Investigation Department
; According to UNHCHR no one has been convicted for the crime.
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
. The rape and murder received extensive local and international attention.
Incident
Mrs. Koneswary was constantly harassed at the Central Camp checkpoint which is on the border of Amparai Batticaloa district. On the afternoon of May 17, 1997, Mrs. Koneswary was verbally assaulted and sexually harassed by four police officers at this checkpoint and defended herself by shouting at the officers and demanding that they leave her alone.At 11pm that same day, Ms. Koneswary a mother of four was allegedly raped and killed by the police after carrying her four-year-old daughter away. It is reported that her rapists killed her by
exploding a grenade
Grenade
A grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...
on her abdomen thus destroying the evidence of any rape.
According to her neighbours, she had history of problems with the Central Camp police in the Kalmunai
Kalmunai
Kalmunai is a municipality within the Ampara District of Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. It had a total population of 91,457 as of 2001. And It is the one and only Muslim majority municipality in the country. There were Sri Lankan Muslims, Sri Lankan Tamils, Sinhalese, and Burghers with the Moors...
district in eastern Sri Lanka. During that time she had been subjected to alleged persistent harassment at the Central camp checkpoint.
Two months before she was killed, some police officers had allegedly cut and took away a Margosa tree from her yard. Although she is reported to have filed a complaint with the officer in charge at Central Camp immediately, nothing was done. Subsequently Ms. Koneswary complained to a deputy inspector general in Ampara
Ampara
Ampara is a remote city on the East Coast of Sri Lanka, about 360 km from the capital city of Colombo. It belongs to the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. It was a part of the domain of Kavantissa and was then known as "Ambaragama", which over the years changed to Ambara to Ampara...
, who intervened on her behalf, and instructed the local police to return the timber to the family. It was after this incident that the alleged verbal abuse and sexual harassment of Ms. Koneswary began.
On May 17, around 11 p.m., as described by her four-year-old daughter, some "uncles with guns" had entered the hut
Hut
Hut may refer to:*Hut , a small and crude shelter*Hans Hut , Anabaptist leader*Hut Records, an English audio records company*Sunglass Hut International, largest American retailer of sunglasses...
carried the little girl outside and left her near a neighbour’s fence. According to villagers, Ms. Koneswary had that night sent her three other children to her relatives who were living nearby. The little girl is the only witness to the ensuing crime.
Reactions
In a letter to President Kumaratunga, Mothers' Front of JaffnaJaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
wrote,
The Centre for Women's Research in Sri Lanka (CENWOR) also protested the rape. It asked the Sri Lankan president The group also organized a protest march in the capital Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
.
The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...
reportedly retaliated for the rape and murder by attacking a Sri Lankan military camp resulting in the death of 23 people. Furthermore, LTTE's female unit attacked the police station, wher Koneswary was allegedly raped, killing 15 police dead and more than 20 injured. After the attack an female LTTE cadre claimed "We wanted to avenge the rape of Koneswary Murugesupillai. We are proud that we were able to destroy the police station where she was raped and killed,".
Investigations and results
The then president Chandrika KumaratungaChandrika Kumaratunga
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga born June 29, 1945) was the 4th Executive president of Sri Lanka, serving from November 12, 1994 to November 19, 2005. The daughter of two former Prime Ministers, she was also the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party until end of 2005...
ordered an inquiry into the crime by the local the Criminal Investigation Department
Criminal Investigation Department
The Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...
; According to UNHCHR no one has been convicted for the crime.
See also
- Ilayathambi TharsiniIlayathambi TharsiniIlayathamby Tharsini also Tharsini Ilayathamby was a minority Sri Lankan Tamil woman who was raped and killed in her home town of Pungudutheevu on December 16, 2005.-The incident:...
- Ida CarmelittaIda CarmelittaIda Carmelitta or Farheen Ida Carmelitta Laila Figerardo was a minority Sri Lankan Tamil woman who was gang raped and killed on 12 July 1999 and became a cause célèbre of the Sri Lankan civil war.-Incident:...
- SarathambalSarathambalSarathambal Saravanbavananthatkurukal or better known as Sarathambal was a minority Sri Lankan Tamil woman who was gang raped and killed on 28 December 1999. This became an internationally known incident of the Sri Lankan Civil War.-Incident:...
- Krishanti KumaraswamyKrishanti KumaraswamyKrishanti 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; the effort to bring her assailants to justice became a cause celebre as a part of the protest against atrocities committed by...
Further reading
- Cat's eye : a feminist gaze on current issues, by De Alwis, Malathi (ISBN 9-559-10232-x)See here