Ivan Boteju

Ivan Boteju (19?? - 1990) was a Sri Lankan police officer. He was an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Kalmunai police station, Ampara District in 1990. Boteju was killed during the 1990 massacre of Sri Lankan Police officers by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Police career

Ivan Boteju joined the Ceylon Police Force after finishing his schooling as a probationary Sub Inspector and as an athlete he represented the Sri Lanka Police at national level at many track and field events.[1]

Massacre

On June 11, 1990 at about 6:00 a.m. LTTE surrounded the Batticaloa police station and abducted 3 policemen. About an hour later, around 250 armed LTTE carders occupied the Police. Then the Sinhala police officers along with their families were sent to the airport. Tamil Police officers were taken to the St Mary's Church, with their families. The acting Officer-in-Charge and four other policemen were detained. LTTE also removed Rs. 45 million in cash, gold jewellery, 109 T 56 rifles; 77 T 84S rifles; 28 light machine guns; 29 self-loading rifles; 65 sub machine guns; 78 .303 rifles and 78 SAR 80 guns from the police station. LTTE ordered all police stations in Eastern Province to be vacated by 2:30 p.m. or face the consequences. Inspector General Ernest Perera, also instructed the Police officers to surrender, at the request of President Ranasinghe Premadasa.[2][3] Police officers laid down their arms after being promised safe conduct and subsequent release.

Then the Sinhalese officers were sent to the Army or Air Force camps while Tamil officers were accommodated at schools. Meanwhile, the LTTE abducted 899 officers. About 125 were able to escape. Prisoners were taken to the Vinayagapuram and Trincomalee jungles.[4] Once they had arrived, the LTTE cadres lined up the officers, tied their hands behind their backs and shot them dead. In all, 600 to 774 police officers died.[5]

But not all the officers complied at once. ASP Ivan Boteju - who was the OIC of Kalmunai police station - refused to surrender and kept on fighting with the LTTE from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. He protested insisting that they "would be tortured if not killed [if they surrendered]". Within that period, he continuously requested for air support and artillery support but was denied. At about 5:20 p.m. the IGP personally contacted Botheju, ordered to stop fire and surrender. When they had laid down their arms, LTTE took over and all communications with the Colombo Police headquarters were lost. Then the LTTE cardres took them to the Tirukkovil jungles and executed.[6]

In Kalmunai, LTTE also fired at an Army convoy, killing 10 Army soldiers. It was reported that 324 Police officers died were Sinhalese and Muslim. All of them were taken to the Tirukovil jungles by the LTTE, blindfolded, tied their hands behind, made to lie down on the ground and shot.

See also

Further reading

External links and references

  1. ↑ Police athletes hit come back trail
  2. ↑ "Recalling the saddest day in Lankan Police history". Lanka Newspapers. Lanka Newspapers. 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
  3. ↑ "There are 600 plus (murdered) Police officers inside the one you see today". Daily News staff. Daily News. 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-14.
  4. ↑ "JUNE: THE WAR BEGINS". UTHR. UTHR. 2001. Retrieved 2007-11-07.
  5. ↑ "Killing of 774 policemen". Rivira. Rivira. 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
  6. ↑ "'The Saddest Day in Police History'". SSP Tassie Seneviratne. Sunday Observer. 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-14.


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