Eastern University massacre

Eastern University massacre
LocationVathharoomulai, Chenkalady, Sri Lanka
Coordinates7°48′N 81°35′E / 7.800°N 81.583°E / 7.800; 81.583
Date5 September 1990 (1990-09-05) (+6 GMT)
TargetSri Lankan Tamil civilians
Attack type
Shooting
WeaponsVarious firearms
Deaths158
PerpetratorsSri Lankan Armed Forces

The Eastern University massacre was the arrest and subsequent mass murder of 158 minority Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who had taken refuge in the Eastern University campus close to the city Batticaloa on 5 September 1990. A witness identified Sri Lankan Army personnel as the perpetrators. The event is part of what is known amongst Sri Lankan Tamils as Black September, a series of civilian massacres. The Sri Lankan government eventually established a presidential commission of inquiry. The inquiry found evidence of illegal abductions and mass murder. It also named the responsible parties, but there is currently no evidence of any judicial follow up to the inquiry.