In February 1986, a significant and violent incident occurred in Akkaraipattu, a town in eastern Sri Lanka, where the Sri Lankan Army conducted a massacre resulting in the deaths of approximately 80 Tamil farm workers. This tragic event was rooted in the backdrop of the Sri Lankan Civil War, which began in the early 1980s and was driven by longstanding ethnic tensions between the Sinhalese majority and the Tamil minority. The Sri Lankan government's military operations against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist group seeking an independent Tamil state, often extended to brutal reprisals against Tamil civilians accused of supporting the insurgency.

On that day, army personnel reportedly encircled the workers and opened fire, resulting in a massive loss of life. The Tamil population, already suffering due to military incursions, faced even greater fear and repression in the aftermath of this massacre. The response from the international community was one of condemnation, with human rights organizations documenting the event as part of a larger pattern of state-sponsored violence against Tamils. It underscored the systematic nature of the conflict, complicating governmental claims of human rights adherence.

The Akkaraipattu massacre not only prompted outrage within Sri Lanka but also drew attention from the Tamil diaspora abroad, further galvanizing support for the Tamil cause. Activism and advocacy intensified as the incident became emblematic of the struggles faced by Tamils in Sri Lanka, influencing political discourse and policy related to the ethnic conflict and leading to increased calls for accountability and intervention.