Riots and pogroms in Sri Lanka

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Sri Lankan Conflict
Background
Sri Lanka • History of Sri Lanka
Origins of the Civil War
Origins of the Civil War Black July • Riots and pogroms Human rights • Allegations of state terror Tamil militant groups
LTTE
LTTE • Attacks • Expulsion of Muslims from Jaffna
Current major figures
Mahinda Rajapaksa Velupillai Prabhakaran Karuna Amman Gotabaya Rajapaksa Sarath Fonseka
Indian Involvement
Operation Poomalai Indo-Sri Lanka Accord Indian Peace Keeping Force Rajiv Gandhi • RAW
See also
Military of Sri Lanka TMVP • EPDP Notable assassinations • Child soldiers This box: view • talk • edit

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

1 1915 riots
2 1953 hartal
3 1958 riots
4 1977 riots
5 1981 Burning of Jaffna Library
6 1983 Riots
7 2000 Bundarawela riots
8 2001 Mawanella riots
9 2006 riots
- 9.1 Trincomalee
- 9.2 Galle
10 See also
11 Notes
12 References
13 External links

[edit] 1915 riots

The first reported organized riots in Sri Lanka were against the minority Sri Lankan Muslims in 1915.^[1]^[1]^[2]^[3]⁷^[4]^[5]

[edit] 1953 hartal

Main article: Hartal 1953

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

[edit] 1958 riots

Main article: Sri Lankan riots of 1958

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

[edit] 1977 riots

Main article: Sri Lankan riots of 1977

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. ^[2]^[3]^[4]

[edit] 1981 Burning of Jaffna Library

Main article: 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 Many irreplaceable historical documents and artifacts of civilization in Sri Lanka were lost forever.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.^[5]

[edit] 1983 Riots

Main article: Black July

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. ^[6]

[edit] 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. ^[7]^[8]

[edit] 2001 Mawanella riots

Also known as Mawanella riots, shops and property belonging to the Muslim minority were distroyed and a number of muslims were killed. ^[9]^[10]^[11]

[edit] 2006 riots

[edit] 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. ^[12]^[13]

[edit] 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. ^[14]^[15]

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

^ Vittachi, Tarzie (1958). Emergency '58: The Story of the Ceylon Race Riots. Andre Deutsch. OCLC 2054641.

^ Seneratne, Jagath P. (1998). Political Violence in Sri Lanka, 1977-1990: Riots, Insurrections, Counter-Insurgencies, Foreign Intervention. VU University Press. ISBN 90-5383-524-5.

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

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

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

^ Rutnam, 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.

^ Vythilingam, 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).

[edit] External links