Burning of Jaffna library
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Burning of Jaffna library was a watershed event in the ongoing Sri Lankan civil war. A Sinhalese mob went on a rampage on the nights of May 31 to June 2 1981, burning the market area of Jaffna, the office of a Tamil newspaper, the home of the member of Parliament for Jaffna, the Jaffna Public Library and killing four people. The destruction of the Jaffna Public Library was the incident which appeared to cause the most distress to the people of Jaffna. At the time it was South Asia's biggest library. The 95,000 volumes of the Public Library destroyed by the fire included numerous culturally important and irreplaceable manuscripts. Witnesses reported the presence of uniformed security e officers in the mob and their involvement in the deaths of four individuals.
Contents |
[edit] Initial reports
According to Nancy Murray in an article titled, the State against the Tamils in Sri Lanka - Racism and the Authoritarian State - Race & Class , Summer 1984 wrote that several high ranking Sinhalese security officers and two cabinet ministers, Cyril Mathew and Gamini Dissanayakewere present in the town of Jaffna, uniformed security men and plainclothes thugs carried out some well organised acts of destruction.
| Allegations of State terrorism in Sri Lanka
Civilian Massacres |
|---|
| Akkaraipattu-Allaipiddy-Black July-Batticaloa 1990-Chencholai orphanage-Eastern University-Mannar 1984-Mannar 2006-Mylanthanai-Jaffna hospital- Jaffna lagoon-Jaffna library-Valvettiturai 1989-Iruthayapuram-Kokkadicholai-Kumarapuram-Kumudini boat-Nachikuda-Prison massacres-Tampalakamam - Trincomalee 2006-Nagerkovil school-Navaly church-Naguleswaram temple-Nelliady-Vaharai Rapes and Murders Krishanti Kumaraswamy-Ilayathambi Tharsini-Saradambal Sarma-Mary Madeleine Martin-Arumaithurai Tharmaletchumi |
They burned to the ground certain chosen targets - including the Jaffna Public Library, with its 95,000 volumes and priceless manuscripts, a Hindu temple, the office and machinery of the independent Tamil daily newspaper Eelanadu.
Four people were killed outright. No mention of this appeared in the national newspapers, not even the burning of the Library, the symbol of the Tamils' cultural identity. The government delayed bringing in emergency rule until 2 June, by which time key targets had been destroyed.
The library's curator died the moment he heard of the library's demise[citation needed].
[edit] Allegation by President Premadasa
In 1991 the then president of Sri Lanka Premadasa publicly proclaimed that his party members Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake were directly involved in the burning of the library in 1981
[edit] Government investigation and results
According to Orville H.Schell, Chairman of the Americas Watch Committee, and Head of the Amnesty International 1982 fact finding mission to Sri Lanka, the government did not institute an independent investigation to establish responsibility for these killings in May and June 1981 and take measures against those responsible. Instead, one police officer involved was promoted and emergency legislation was introduced facilitating further killings.
[edit] Photos
- Photo of the burnt and rebuilt libraryPhoto credit gives date of burning incorrectly as 1977.
[edit] See also
- Black July
- Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka
- Banning of Tamil language media importation
- State terrorism in Sri Lanka
[edit] References
- ↑ Burning down of the Jaffna library and government complicity WSW report on burning of Jaffna Library
- ↑ Archive of Nancy Murray article
- ↑ The independant quotes President Ranasinghe Premadasa
- ↑ Destroying a Symbol
[edit] External links
 |
This Sri Lanka-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
