r/eelamwarcrimes

I’ve kept this video on my drive for years. I was part of the Watchdog team when we were building the timeline of the SLPP attack on GotaGoGama. This footage arrived just after we published, so it stayed buried. But every time I watch it, that same anger and heartbreak comes back. We need to archive this so it isn’t forgotten or rewritten.

It is heavy. You see people who just wanted a better life being met with sudden, organized violence. It captures the exact moment the peace of the Green was shattered.

With everything that’s happened since, it’s easy to forget the visceral fear and the courage of those who were there. I’m posting this today because history shouldn't have gaps. We need to remember exactly what was done to peaceful citizens.

The Sri Maha Bodhi massacre (also known as the Anuradhapura massacre) occurred on May 14, 1985, when militants belonging to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) attacked the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi shrine and central bus terminal in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

The Attack
The Perpertrators: Armed LTTE cadres hijacked a public bus to infiltrate the city.
Bus Terminal: The militants opened fire on civilians, passengers, and workers waiting at the central bus station, killing dozens.
The Shrine: The attackers then drove to the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, a highly revered Buddhist pilgrimage site. They opened fire on the crowd gathered there, gunning down unarmed Buddhist worshippers, monks, and nuns.

Casualties and Aftermath
Death Toll: 146 people were killed (including women, children, monks, and nuns).
Injuries: At least 85 others were seriously wounded.
Wilpattu: After the attack, the militants retreated into the Wilpattu National Park and killed 24 Department of Wildlife Conservation employees.
Significance: This attack was the LTTE's first major operation outside of the Tamil-majority Northern and Eastern provinces, deliberately targeting the country's Buddhist majority to incite ethnic retaliation.

r/eelamwarcrimes

May 9th: Raw, unedited footage of the attack on GotaGoGama. Lest we forget.

Anuradhapura Massacre