The documentary Killing the Travellers – Kurukkalmadam Massacre, launched on 30 July by
Activists Without Borders and the Academy for Social Justice at Lakshman Kadirgamar Hall
in Colombo, sheds light on one of Sri Lanka's most harrowing yet overlooked atrocities: the Kurukkalmadam massacre of 12 July 1990.
On that tragic day, over seventy innocent people – including Hajj pilgrims returning home –
were abducted, tortured, and killed while travelling to Kattankudy, their bodies buried in a
mass grave. This long-silenced tragedy is now brought to the forefront.
Directed by Baazir Kaleelur Rahman, the documentary exposes the systematic abduction
and killing of Muslim travellers during Sri Lanka’s civil war, with a particular focus on the
Kurukkalmadam incident. While many other mass graves were excavated in the north, including Chemmani – have gained attention and seen some remains returned, the victims of Kurukkalmadam remain forgotten, their families still awaiting answers, justice, and
accountability.
“The suffering endured by Eastern Muslims during the conflict has largely been erased from
national memory and justice processes,” states a representative from Activists Without
Borders. “While the world remembers the Kattankudy Mosque massacre and other
atrocities, the Kurukkalmadam massacre, where hundreds of people are believed to be
buried, has been tragically neglected.”
Despite eyewitness accounts, survivors’ testimonies of torture, and NGO inquiries, no
proper investigation has ever taken place. Families have received no adequate
compensation, no arrests have been made, and there has been no closure. Hundreds are
believed to have gone missing from the Kattankudy area during the same period, with the
full scale of violence still unknown.
“Justice is not a zero-sum game. Seeking justice for the Kurukkalmadam massacre does not diminish the gravity of other war crimes in Sri Lanka. On the contrary, it reinforces the principle that all victims – regardless of ethnicity or religion – deserve truth, recognition, and justice. Kurukkalmadam must not remain a silent grave, but a historic symbol of our collective resolve to pursue justice, no matter how long it takes.”
“This documentary is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a call for justice,” says Baazir Kaleelur Rahman, director of the film. “It's crucial that we confront these dark chapters of our history to foster understanding and work towards a future where such atrocities are never repeated.”
Killing the Travellers – Kurukkalmadam Massacre aims to rectify this historical injustice. The
film is now available to the public on YouTube, ensuring this vital story reaches a global
audience. Activists Without Borders urges the Sri Lankan government to recognise
the Kurukkalmadam massacre as a war crime officially, and to include it in all truth and reconciliation processes.
This is a call for truth – to honour the dead and restore dignity to the living.
Kurukkalmadam must become a symbol not only of pain, but of a collective resolve to seek justice for all victims of atrocity, regardless of ethnicity or religion.
The documentary was also screened in Puttalam on 31 July and in Kattankudy on 3 August,
and is now available for global viewing on the Activists Without Borders YouTube channel.
( A media release)