Prawn farm massacre
| Prawn farm massacre | |
|---|---|
Location of Sri Lanka | |
| Location | Kokkadichcholai, Sri Lanka |
| Coordinates | 7°37′N 81°43′E / 7.617°N 81.717°E |
| Date | January 27, 1987 (+6 GMT) |
| Target | Sri Lankan Tamil village residents |
Attack type | Armed massacre |
| Weapons | Automatics rifles, Knives, axes |
| Deaths | 83 |
| Perpetrators | Special Task Force |
The Prawn farm massacre, also known as the 1987 Kokkadichcholai massacre, took place on January 27, 1987 in the village of Kokkadichcholai, in Batticaloa District within the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. At least 83 Tamil civilians were killed. The Special Task Force, an elite special forces unit of the Sri Lanka Police specializing in counter-terrorist and counter-insurgency operations, was accused of having perpetrated the massacre. Asian Agricultural Products Limited (AAPL), the Hong Kong based part-owner of the farm filed for arbitration by ICSID, an arm of the World Bank, against the government of Sri Lanka; AAPL prevailed in the arbitration, eventually received payment and families of the victims were paid some monetary compensation.