Murugan, while the UTHR report seems to have detailed descriptions of an eye-witness nature, and while they name names, until proper evidence is presented, I find it hard to accept that the police or security forces are responsible.

I can only now appeal to the authority of UTHR(j).

(A very credible organization that does painstaking research on the ground. And an organization that criticizes both the LTTE and SL forces)

I believe the UTHR(j) conclusion that the Security Forces are responsible. I hope that you will accept it as well.

The UTHR report claims that the weapons used in the shootings were 7.62-mm, 5.56-mm, and 9-mm Parabellum. The latter ammunition is typically in SL used with the Uzi and MP5 SMGs, as well as the Browning Hi-Power pistol. The latter is the regulation service sidearm of the security forces, and both sides have quantities of these weapons. UTHR also claims that a Navy SBS patrol was present during the killings. While it is possible that the SBS was armed with 5.56-mm and/or 9-mm weapons, the UTHR claims that the murders were carried out by a homeguard and two police constables. It is unlikely that this trio would be armed with 5.56-mm or 9-mm rifles or SMGs, though it’s possible they might have had Browning Hi-Powers. So the type of ammunition doesn’t prove anything unless it can be traced to an individual weapon. The UTHR then tries to cover all angles by claiming the SBS MIGHT have been involved in the shooting too.

The biggest problem with the accusation, is motive. Why would the security forces kill a bunch of NGO personnel? The UTHR suggests that one of the ACF staff was a witness to the STF shooting of five students in Trinco, and if this is true, then it suggests a huge conspiracy which I frankly find a bit far-fetched.

On the other hand, the LTTE, which has a record of killing its own people, could have done it to create a propaganda coup.

Nevertheless my argument is that the weapons and ammunition don’t prove anything. Ultimately, Murugan, your argument is based on your belief that the LTTE is innocent (as you yourself say) and that if they didn’t do it, then it has to be the security forces. This is a faulty basis for an argument.

Your suicide bomber analogy is also flawed because the bomber represents the LTTE’s modus operandi which is very distinctive and not duplicated by other parties, including the TMVP. On the other hand, the Muttur killings don’t reflect a typical security forces modus operandi. So again, nothing conclusive.

Your suggestion that ONLY the security forces would intentionally kill unarmed Tamil civilians is contradicted by the fact that the LTTE has regularly done just that.

Your suggestion that the killings were an act of anger and passion by foot soldiers is contradicted by the UTHR report which claims that it was a well-planned conspiracy ordered by senior police officers. You can’t have it both ways.

“I still can’t reconcile my logic with the fact that the army didn’t try to cover up the incident by burying the bodies in a mass grave.”

This statement is perhaps the most telling. If it was done by the security forces on the spur of the moment, they would have wanted to cover their guilt by burying the bodies. And if it had been a preplanned conspiracy, the same is true. However, if it was done by the LTTE to put blame on the security forces, the best way to have done it was to have shot the ACF staffers and then left them to be discovered.

I’m not saying it’s impossible that the security forces did it, but so far there’s no evidence to prove it, and if at all it looks more likely to have been done by the LTTE.

I acknowledge and am ashamed that the LTTE has done so many awful things including massacres at Anuradapudra and bus bombings on civilians.
So why do the Sinhalese find it so difficult to acknowledge that the Sri Lankan security forces also committ similar massacres against the Tamil civilians. To me, It is self-evident that the Security forces did this. Even with a botched inquiry, the information about the M16 and the timing of the murders still leaked out. The M16 slug and the SLMM statements are all open source information.
It is sad that I have to belabor the point to try to show that the Security forces committed the Muttur massacre.
What about the murder of the 5 Trincomalee students that also occured in 2006? That was conclusively done by Sinhala soldiers. Everybody (who is not delusional) accepts that Sinhala soldiers murdered those 5 Tamil students in Trincomalee in a similar fashion to what happened in Muttur. So why do people find it so hard to believe that similar men could have carried out the Muttur Massacre?
I realize that we always have to be cautious before pointing the finger. And I admit that the LTTE does the awful act of civilian shielding that leads to the deaths of Tamil civilians. And the LTTE will do a lot of crazy things just to get some international sympathy. I concede all of this. This should add to the credibility of my opinion. I really don’t believe the LTTE did the Muttur massacre. THere are only 2 armies in Sri Lanka. Only two people carry T-56 rifles. Only two armies control territory. These two are The LTTE and the SLA. So if the LTTE did NOT do it.
Then the SLA did it.
End of story.
To give you an analogy. It is like in the past when a suicide bomber tried to assassinate Douglas Devananda (EPDP). You didn’t need to think too hard to know who did it. You don’t need too much information. THere are only 2 armies in Sri Lanka. the SLA wouldn’t do it. So it must be the LTTE. The evidence that she was a Tamil and that she used a suicide bombing tactic strengthens the case against the LTTE, but you don’t even need conclusive evidence to say with high confidence that the LTTE did it.

Likewise. when Tamil NGO workers are murdered, you don’t need to think too hard about who did it. The evidence of the timing and the M16 strengthen the case, but you don’t even need that evidence to confidently say that the SLA did it. There are only 2 forces in SL. And only the SLA would murder Tamil Humanitarian workers in the Northeast.
It is as simple as that. You don’t need a whole investigation to know the basic truth.

To understand what happened you have to realize that these are Ground soldiers. They aren’t thinking about the political war. They don’t have some big idea about what the murder will accomplish for GoSL. They are just acting in the moment and want to take out their aggression on these Tamils.

Again I didn’t see it with my own eyes. I can’t tell you this is true For sure. But I would say there is a very high probability that the SLA is responsible, and it was committed by ground soldiers who weren’t using their heads. Not every action by the army has to necessarily be planned out and calculated. These are just the lowest men in the Army who do these despicable acts. Most of the Sinhala soldiers are good men who wouldn’t do something this awful. But it just takes a few vermin to committ an atrocity.
I still can’t reconcile my logic with the fact that the army didn’t try to cover up the incident by burying the bodies in a mass grave.