Within the Batticaloa district, during the late 1980s and early 1990s a total of 1,100 civilians became victims of enforced disappearance and assumed killed.

The dominant ethnic group was the minority Sri Lankan Tamils belonging to the Mukkuvar caste who were mostly farmers.

On June 12, 1991, about 12:45 PM an improvised explosive device was detonated under a supply tractor that killed two Sri Lankan Army soldiers.

As the army stayed within the camp on the 13th, amongst the early visitors to the massacre site were the rebel LTTE group who took photographic records of the corpses.

[5][8] On June 16 an official party including the prime minister, Bradman Weerakoon and local members of parliament one Casinadar, Joseph Pararajasingham and Karunakaran were brought to the Kokkadichcholai army camp by helicopter.

[5] The locals also reported that at least six women (including two sisters) were raped, and despite the police denials, this was confirmed privately by medical officials.

[3] According to Human Rights Watch, in 2002 the then Sri Lankan government authorities appeared more willing than in past years to acknowledge official responsibility for atrocities.

In February 2002, the attorney general reportedly issued indictments against more than six hundred police and armed forces personnel implicated in disappearances that occurred before 1994, many in connection with counterinsurgency operations against the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) organization.

[citation needed] The independent commission instituted to look into the Kokkadichcholai incident recommended that compensation of some 5.25 million rupees (approximately CDN$210,000) to be paid to next of kin of those who were killed (67 were identified) and to people who lost property in the rampage.

[10] A military tribunal found the commanding officer guilty of failure to control his troops and illegal disposal of the bodies, and he was dismissed from service.