Riots and pogroms in Sri Lanka

Following is a List of riots and pogroms in Sri Lanka.

1915 riots

The first reported organized riots in Sri Lanka were against the minority Sri Lankan Muslims in 1915. [ [http://www.lines-magazine.org/bestcrit/Zachariya_Shan.html Communalisation of Muslims in Sri Lanka ] ]

1953 hartal

Hartal 1953 was a country-wide demonstration, hartal which eventually lead to civil unrest.

1958 riots

1958 riots popularly known as the 58 riots was a watershed event in the race relationship of the various ethnic communities of Sri Lanka.

1977 riots

The anti-Tamil riots, targeting the minority Sri Lankan Tamil people stared on the August 12 1977, less than a month after the United National Party came to power in 1977. Over 100 Tamils were killed during these riots. [ [http://www.uthr.org/BP/volume1/Chapter2.htm Welcome to UTHR, Sri Lanka ] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3114873.stm BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Sri Lankans call for apology ] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/country_profiles/1166237.stm BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Country profiles | Timeline: Sri Lanka ] ]

1981 Burning of Jaffna Library

This riot involved the destruction of the Jaffna Public Library, with the loss of over 100,000 books, artifacts and palm writings. Many irreplaceable historical documents and artifacts of civilization in Sri Lanka were lost forever. Some police and army members were accused of collusion in the riots. [ [http://www.independentsl.com/cgi-bin/newsscript1.cgi?record=1034 Over two decades after the burning down of the Jaffna library in Sri Lanka ] ]

1983 Riots

Better known as Black July. At least 1,000 Tamil civilians killed and many more made homeless and as refugees and number of places of business destroyed. [ [http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/shrilanka/document/papers/BlackJuly2004.htm President Kumaratunga's speech on the 21st Anniversary of 'Black July' ] ]

2000 Bundarawela riots

In October 2000, 27 Tamil youths were massacred and 14 others were seriously injured in the attack at Bundarawela detention centre housing. This massacre was carried out by the local Sinhala community with the help of the Local Police. Local residents assaulted the inmates with clubs and knives after reports they had taken a security guard hostage. Some victims were said to have been burned alive. According to Asian Centre for Human Rights no one has been prosecuted for these crimes against humanity. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4375966.stm BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Sri Lanka accused on riot report ] ] [ [http://tj-forum.org/archives/001548.html Transitional Justice Forum: Transitional Justice in the News, Oct.31 ] ]

2001 Mawanella riots

Also known as Mawanella riots, shops and property belonging to the Muslim minority were destroyed and a number of muslims were killed. [http://www.slageconr.net/slsnet/9thicsls/individual/abs044.pdf] [ [http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/07/15/stories/05151346.htm The Hindu : For a place in the sun ] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1313545.stm BBC News | SOUTH ASIA | Curfew lifted in Colombo ] ]

2006 riots

Trincomalee

In mid 2006, a bomb blast killed 16 people, prompting a Sinhalese mob to torch Tamil-owned shops and to hunt down Tamil civilians. According to the main hospital, the blast killed 16 people, eight Tamils, five Sinhalese, two Muslims and a person who could not be identified. The reprisal attacks claimed another five: four Tamils and one Sinhalese, who were burned, stabbed and shot to death. Whether the riots were spontaneous or planned is impossible to know, although the police and the army, deployed in full force around the market, did not manage to stop them. Rohan Abeywardana, the deputy inspector general of police in charge of Trincomalee, said his forces were overpowered. Those arrested were released the next morning. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/05/15/news/srilanka.php Sri Lankan city's descent into chaos - International Herald Tribune ] ] [ [http://www.cpalanka.org/Press_Release_Trinco_Situation.html Centre for Policy Alternatives ] ]

Galle

On 17 Oct 2006 a number of Tamil owned shops were damaged and destroyed in mob violence against Tamil merchants in the port city of Galle following an attack on a Naval base by the LTTE rebel group. No reported casualties. [ [http://news.netscape.com/story/2006/10/18/sri-lanka-navy-base-attacked-sparks-anti-tamil-riot/ Sri Lanka navy base attacked, sparks anti-Tamil riot » Propeller ] ] [ [http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KHII-6UP9UQ?OpenDocument News: Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka navy base attacked, sparks anti-Tamil riot ] ]

ee also

* Black July
* Sri Lankan Civil War
* State terrorism in Sri Lanka

Notes

reflist

References

*cite book | last=Vittachi | first=Tarzie | title=Emergency '58: The Story of the Ceylon Race Riots | date=1958 | id=OCLC 2054641 | publisher=Andre Deutsch

* cite book | id=ISBN 90-5383-524-5 | title= Political Violence in Sri Lanka, 1977-1990: Riots, Insurrections, Counter-Insurgencies, Foreign Intervention | publisher=VU University Press | date=1998 | last=Seneratne | first=Jagath P.

*Note|4 Kearney, R.N.: The 1915 riots in Ceylon – a symposium; Introduction. Journal of Asian Studies, Feb.1970, vol.29, no.2, pp.219-222.

*Note|5Jayewardena, K.: Economic and Political Factors in the 1915 riots. Journal of Asian Studies, Feb.1970, vol.29, no.2, pp.223-233.

*Note|6Blackton, C.S.: The action phase of the 1915 riots. Journal of Asian Studies, Feb.1970, vol.29, no.2, pp.235-254.

*Note|8Rutnam, J.T.: The Rev.A.G.Fraser and the riots of 1915. Ceylon Journal of Historical and Social Studies, July-December 1971, vol.1, no.2 (new series), pp.151-196.

*Note|9Vythilingam, M.: The Life of Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan, vol.2 (1910-1930), 1977, chapters 10 (Riots-1915, pp.229-250), 11 (Riots-Speeches, pp.251-320) and 12 (Ramanathan’s Mission to England – His Return, pp.321-330).

External links

* [http://www.ices.lk/sl_database/ethnic_conflict/time_line.shtml Timeline of ethnic conflict]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/country_profiles/1166237.stm BBC timeline of Sri Lankan conflict]
* [http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/Current_Affairs/ca200307/20030723july_83.htm July still black after twenty years - from the official website of the Sri Lankan government]
* [http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/shrilanka/document/papers/BlackJuly2004.htm The former President of Sri Lanka about Black July]
* [http://folk.uio.no/stokke/Publications/GrowthandChange.pdf Struggle for Tamileelam and its route causes]
* [http://www.lines-magazine.org/Art_May03/kethesh.htm Interview in the Lines Magazine] by Keetheswaran Loganathan
* [http://www.pact.lk/ Peace and Conflict Timeline (PACT)]