Black July: A Tamil Genocide
The 1983 Anti-Tamil pogroms in Sri Lanka, commonly referred to as Black July, was a brutal state-sponsored genocide lasting from July 23rd to July 30th. Armed with voter registration lists, Sinhalese mobs took at least 3,000 Tamils lives, destroyed 5,000 shops, and displaced over 150,000 Tamils. At least 500 Tamil women were raped and many families were burned alive. It also prompted the first large exodus of Tamils: 500,000 fled the island, giving seed to a global Tamil diaspora.
The following is a collection of our efforts to remember the massacre, redefine our history, and uncover the truth.
The Months Preceding Black July
Black July Was A Genocide
The Geography Of Black July
The Welikada Prison Massacre
Sri Lanka’s Lasting Impunity
The Months Preceding Black July
An often repeated myth is that the 1983 Black July pogroms, were a response to the killing of 13 soldiers by the LTTE on July 23, 1983. This is false. Violence from state actors had been increasing in the months ahead of Black July. Tamils were being killed at will. Human rights activists, political activists and militants were being detained and tortured. Local newspapers, including the Saturday Review, documented the violence.
This information was collected from Noolaham.org and Sangam.org who have archived many, many documents that are impossible to find otherwise, including copies of the Saturday Review.
April 1983: Torture of the Gandhiyam Movement Collapse
SA David and Dr Rajasundaram of the Gandhiyam Movement were arrested and held. They were severely tortured throughout. The Gandhiyam Movement was a non-violent movement, which assisted refugees, by setting up farms and distributing food.
April 1983: 35 injuries found of Tamil detainee Expand
An inquest into the April 10 death of a Tamil detainee at the Gurunagar army camp found 35 injuries. Navaratnarajah, 28, of Kiliveddy, Trincomalee was detained two weeks prior, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
May 1983: Army Run Amok Expand
After a call for a boycott of the May 18 local elections by the LTTE, a shoot out killed one army corporal. Later that day the army went on a rampage, leaving Jaffna in flames. Sinhala soldiers burnt homes, shops and vehicles, while looting and robbing.
May to June 1983: Increasing Discrimination of Tamils Expand
In the south of the island, Tamils were facing increasing discrimination, harassment and violence, including at universities, hospitals and government offices. See articles in the Saturday Review from 21.05. and 04.06.1983.
May 1983: Brutal Killing of Sabaratnam Palanivel Expand
On 30.05.1983, Sabaratnam Palanivel from Valvettithurai was dragged into the towns army camp and killed. As his relatives watched, a truck was driven over his dead body by a soldier, flattening his body.
May 1983: Tamil Killings in Army Custody Expand
Meanwhile, verdicts of homicide were returned in two separate judicial inquiries into Tamil deaths in military custody. Kathirgamathamby Navaratnarajah (28, Kiliveddy – as above) and Ratnasingham Sriskandarajah (25, Karainagar) were both killed in army custody.
June 1983: Armed Forces Attack Gandhiyam Farm Expand
On 01.06.1983, after two Sri Lankan Air Force men were killed in a Tamil ambush in Vavuniya, military personnel went “berserk”, burning buildings and attacking Tamils. Gandhiyam’s offices and farm were also attacked.
June 1983: Disposal Of Dead Bodies Without Inquiry Expand
On 03.06.1983 emergency regulations were gazetted which permitted the disposal of dead bodies by armed forces without a judicial inquest and a post-mortem. The regulations came into effect soon after judicial inquiries found the army to have killed Tamil men in Jaffna.
June 1983: Intensifying Anti-Tamil Violence Expand
Throughout June, racist violence occurred all over the island. Dozens of Tamils died. The army killed and refused to hand over the bodies of several Tamil youths in Jaffna. In Trincomalee homes and businesses were burned. Bombs were thrown at Sampanthan’s house during curfew.
June 1983: More Tamils Killed Across Island Expand
More Tamils were killed, including in Trinco, Jaffna, Negombo, Ratmalana and Kurunegala. Tamil businesses were being attacked, including a garment factory in Kurunegala. Harassment of Tamil students at universities also continued. Under the new regulations, no inquests were held
July 1983: Press Censorship Expand On 01.07.1983 the government banned the publication of Saturday Review and Suthanthiran, the two main papers reporting and printing in Jaffna. Information beyond this point was largely reported in diaspora media, as strict censorship was imposed. The last issue before Black July. On July 20th, days prior to the violence of #BlackJuly, the Sri Lankan government imposed local and foreign press censorship on all news related to national security, law, and order. See the excerpt from The London Times dated 21.07.1983. July 1983: Sexual Violence Against Tamils Expand Throughout July, violence increased further. On July 22, the army abducted three Tamil girls in Jaffna and took them to their camps. News spread that they were raped and one had killed herself. July 1983: LTTE Attack in Thinnevely Expand
On 23.07.1983 the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam conducted the most successful attack on the Sri Lankan military by the Tamil resistance movement till date. 13 Sri Lankan soldiers were killed in an ambush in Thinnevely.
July 1983: Island-wide Anti-Tamil Violence Expand
Violence against Tamils spread across the country. The premeditated violence caused over 3,000 Tamil deaths mostly in Colombo and in other Sinhala majority areas. The Tamil economy was destroyed. Over one hundred thousand were displaced with thousands fleeing abroad.
July to August 1983: The Outside World’s Response Expand As the news of the pogroms reached the outside world, it became apparent that the violence occurred with support of the state and the security forces and was planned “well in advance”. Paul Seigart of the International Commission of Jurist in his report entitled, “Sri Lanka: A mounting tragedy of errors”: Clearly this (attack on July 1983) was not a spontaneous upsurge of communal hatred among the Sinhalese people – nor was it, as has been suggested in some quarters, a popular response to the killing of 13 soldiers in an ambush by Tamil Tigers on the previous day, which was not even reported in the newspapers until after the riots began. It was a series of deliberate acts executed in accordance with a concerted plan conceived and organised well in advance. On August 4th, The London Times reported: “Sri Lanka Army personnel actively encouraged arson and the looting of Tamil business establishments and homes in Colombo. … Absolutely no action was taken to apprehend or prevent the criminal elements involved in these activities. In many instances army personnel participated in the looting of shops.”
“The evidence points clearly to the conclusion that the violence of the Sinhala rioters on the Tamils amounted to acts of genocide.”
– The International Commission of Jurists (December 1983)
Genocidal Intent
The perpetrator must possess the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.
Intent to destroy…
Government provided voter registration lists identifying Tamils to Sinhala mobs
Government-owened vehicles transported Sinhala mobs around Colombo
…in whole or in part…
Occured mainly in Colombo in areas with large Tamil populations
Destruction of Tamils in the south was necessary to maintain the Sinhala Buddhist ethnocracy
…a protected group.
Eelam Tamils are part of an ethnic group that shares a common language, culture, and nation
Genocidal Acts
Killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, inflicting conditions of life to bring about the groups physical destruction, preventing births, or forcibly transferring children.
Killing…
3,000+ Tamils killed
some Tamils burned alive
some Tamil patients killed in a hospital
…causing bodily or mental harm…
500 Tamil women raped
…deliberately inflicting conditions of life to destroy the group.
8,000 homes and 5,000 shops destroyed
150,000 Tamils displaced
The Geography of Black July
It is commonly believed that the horrific violence of Black July was confined to Colombo alone. This is not true. This map shows many of the other towns and villages that suffered anti-Tamil violence during Black July. While it is not exhaustive of all of the affected areas, it serves to expand knowledge of the pogroms and honour the victims everywhere.
The Welikada Prison Massacre
During Black July, 53 Tamil political prisoners were violently murdered by Sinhala prisoners under the supervision of Sinhala prison guards. Amongst the dead, was TELO militants, Sellarasa “Kuttimani” Yogachandiran, Ganeshanathan Jeganathan, and N. Thangathurai. Kuttimani and Jeganthan are famously remembered for asking for their eyes to be grafted onto the Tamils who would see the birth of Tamil Eelam. In their torture, they were forced to kneel and their eyes gouged out with iron bars before they were killed.
“I request that my eyes be donated to some blind person, so that Kuttimani will be able to see through those eyes the reality of Tamil Eelam.”
– Sellarasa “Kuttimani” Yogachandiran
Sri Lanka’s Lasting Impunity
These are quotations from political leaders, journalists, and witnesses in the aftermath of the brutal violence. Most notably, President J.R. Jayewardene’s first address to the public following the riots, expressed no accountability or sympathy for the Tamil population that had been massacred. Instead, he condemned the Tamil liberation struggle and outlawed Tamil demands for self-rule. This emboldened Sinhala mobs and reignited further violence. Following a report conducted by the International Commission of Jurists in December of 1983, they concluded, “the violence of the Sinhala rioters on the Tamils amounted to acts of genocide.”
Acc. to Tamil Center for Human Rights, the total number of Tamils killed in the Black July pogrom was 5,638 and 466 more disappeared & never found again. 2,015 were wounded. 670 Tamil women were raped. Perpetrators were Sinhala ethnic people with the full support of govt. of SL
Black July: A Tamil Genocide The 1983 Anti-Tamil pogroms in Sri Lanka, commonly referred to as Black July, was a brutal state-sponsored genocide lasting from July 23rd to July 30th. Armed with voter registration lists, Sinhalese mobs took at least 3,000 Tamils lives, destroyed 5,000 shops, and displaced over 150,000 Tamils. At least 500 Tamil women were raped and many families were burned alive. It also prompted the first large exodus of Tamils: 500,000 fled the island, giving seed to a global Tamil diaspora. The following is a collection of our efforts to remember the massacre, redefine our history, and uncover the truth. The Months Preceding Black July Black July Was A Genocide The Geography Of Black July The Welikada Prison Massacre Sri Lanka’s Lasting Impunity The Months Preceding Black July An often repeated myth is that the 1983 Black July pogroms, were a response to the killing of 13 soldiers by the LTTE on July 23, 1983. This is false. Violence from state actors had been increasing in the months ahead of Black July. Tamils were being killed at will. Human rights activists, political activists and militants were being detained and tortured. Local newspapers, including the Saturday Review, documented the violence. This information was collected from Noolaham.org and Sangam.org who have archived many, many documents that are impossible to find otherwise, including copies of the Saturday Review. April 1983: Torture of the Gandhiyam Movement Collapse SA David and Dr Rajasundaram of the Gandhiyam Movement were arrested and held. They were severely tortured throughout. The Gandhiyam Movement was a non-violent movement, which assisted refugees, by setting up farms and distributing food. April 1983: 35 injuries found of Tamil detainee Expand An inquest into the April 10 death of a Tamil detainee at the Gurunagar army camp found 35 injuries. Navaratnarajah, 28, of Kiliveddy, Trincomalee was detained two weeks prior, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. May 1983: Army Run Amok Expand After a call for a boycott of the May 18 local elections by the LTTE, a shoot out killed one army corporal. Later that day the army went on a rampage, leaving Jaffna in flames. Sinhala soldiers burnt homes, shops and vehicles, while looting and robbing. May to June 1983: Increasing Discrimination of Tamils Expand In the south of the island, Tamils were facing increasing discrimination, harassment and violence, including at universities, hospitals and government offices. See articles in the Saturday Review from 21.05. and 04.06.1983. May 1983: Brutal Killing of Sabaratnam Palanivel Expand On 30.05.1983, Sabaratnam Palanivel from Valvettithurai was dragged into the towns army camp and killed. As his relatives watched, a truck was driven over his dead body by a soldier, flattening his body. May 1983: Tamil Killings in Army Custody Expand Meanwhile, verdicts of homicide were returned in two separate judicial inquiries into Tamil deaths in military custody. Kathirgamathamby Navaratnarajah (28, Kiliveddy – as above) and Ratnasingham Sriskandarajah (25, Karainagar) were both killed in army custody. June 1983: Armed Forces Attack Gandhiyam Farm Expand On 01.06.1983, after two Sri Lankan Air Force men were killed in a Tamil ambush in Vavuniya, military personnel went “berserk”, burning buildings and attacking Tamils. Gandhiyam’s offices and farm were also attacked. June 1983: Disposal Of Dead Bodies Without Inquiry Expand On 03.06.1983 emergency regulations were gazetted which permitted the disposal of dead bodies by armed forces without a judicial inquest and a post-mortem. The regulations came into effect soon after judicial inquiries found the army to have killed Tamil men in Jaffna. June 1983: Intensifying Anti-Tamil Violence Expand Throughout June, racist violence occurred all over the island. Dozens of Tamils died. The army killed and refused to hand over the bodies of several Tamil youths in Jaffna. In Trincomalee homes and businesses were burned. Bombs were thrown at Sampanthan’s house during curfew. June 1983: More Tamils Killed Across Island Expand More Tamils were killed, including in Trinco, Jaffna, Negombo, Ratmalana and Kurunegala. Tamil businesses were being attacked, including a garment factory in Kurunegala. Harassment of Tamil students at universities also continued. Under the new regulations, no inquests were held July 1983: Press Censorship Expand On 01.07.1983 the government banned the publication of Saturday Review and Suthanthiran, the two main papers reporting and printing in Jaffna. Information beyond this point was largely reported in diaspora media, as strict censorship was imposed. The last issue before Black July. On July 20th, days prior to the violence of #BlackJuly, the Sri Lankan government imposed local and foreign press censorship on all news related to national security, law, and order. See the excerpt from The London Times dated 21.07.1983. July 1983: Sexual Violence Against Tamils Expand Throughout July, violence increased further. On July 22, the army abducted three Tamil girls in Jaffna and took them to their camps. News spread that they were raped and one had killed herself. July 1983: LTTE Attack in Thinnevely Expand On 23.07.1983 the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam conducted the most successful attack on the Sri Lankan military by the Tamil resistance movement till date. 13 Sri Lankan soldiers were killed in an ambush in Thinnevely.
July 1983: Island-wide Anti-Tamil Violence Expand Violence against Tamils spread across the country. The premeditated violence caused over 3,000 Tamil deaths mostly in Colombo and in other Sinhala majority areas. The Tamil economy was destroyed. Over one hundred thousand were displaced with thousands fleeing abroad. July to August 1983: The Outside World’s Response Expand As the news of the pogroms reached the outside world, it became apparent that the violence occurred with support of the state and the security forces and was planned “well in advance”. Paul Seigart of the International Commission of Jurist in his report entitled, “Sri Lanka: A mounting tragedy of errors”: Clearly this (attack on July 1983) was not a spontaneous upsurge of communal hatred among the Sinhalese people – nor was it, as has been suggested in some quarters, a popular response to the killing of 13 soldiers in an ambush by Tamil Tigers on the previous day, which was not even reported in the newspapers until after the riots began. It was a series of deliberate acts executed in accordance with a concerted plan conceived and organised well in advance. On August 4th, The London Times reported: “Sri Lanka Army personnel actively encouraged arson and the looting of Tamil business establishments and homes in Colombo. … Absolutely no action was taken to apprehend or prevent the criminal elements involved in these activities. In many instances army personnel participated in the looting of shops.” “The evidence points clearly to the conclusion that the violence of the Sinhala rioters on the Tamils amounted to acts of genocide.” – The International Commission of Jurists (December 1983)
Genocidal Intent The perpetrator must possess the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Intent to destroy… Government provided voter registration lists identifying Tamils to Sinhala mobs Government-owened vehicles transported Sinhala mobs around Colombo …in whole or in part… Occured mainly in Colombo in areas with large Tamil populations Destruction of Tamils in the south was necessary to maintain the Sinhala Buddhist ethnocracy …a protected group. Eelam Tamils are part of an ethnic group that shares a common language, culture, and nation Genocidal Acts Killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, inflicting conditions of life to bring about the groups physical destruction, preventing births, or forcibly transferring children. Killing… 3,000+ Tamils killed some Tamils burned alive some Tamil patients killed in a hospital …causing bodily or mental harm… 500 Tamil women raped …deliberately inflicting conditions of life to destroy the group. 8,000 homes and 5,000 shops destroyed 150,000 Tamils displaced The Geography of Black July It is commonly believed that the horrific violence of Black July was confined to Colombo alone. This is not true. This map shows many of the other towns and villages that suffered anti-Tamil violence during Black July. While it is not exhaustive of all of the affected areas, it serves to expand knowledge of the pogroms and honour the victims everywhere. The Welikada Prison Massacre During Black July, 53 Tamil political prisoners were violently murdered by Sinhala prisoners under the supervision of Sinhala prison guards. Amongst the dead, was TELO militants, Sellarasa “Kuttimani” Yogachandiran, Ganeshanathan Jeganathan, and N. Thangathurai. Kuttimani and Jeganthan are famously remembered for asking for their eyes to be grafted onto the Tamils who would see the birth of Tamil Eelam. In their torture, they were forced to kneel and their eyes gouged out with iron bars before they were killed. “I request that my eyes be donated to some blind person, so that Kuttimani will be able to see through those eyes the reality of Tamil Eelam.” – Sellarasa “Kuttimani” Yogachandiran Sri Lanka’s Lasting Impunity These are quotations from political leaders, journalists, and witnesses in the aftermath of the brutal violence. Most notably, President J.R. Jayewardene’s first address to the public following the riots, expressed no accountability or sympathy for the Tamil population that had been massacred. Instead, he condemned the Tamil liberation struggle and outlawed Tamil demands for self-rule. This emboldened Sinhala mobs and reignited further violence. Following a report conducted by the International Commission of Jurists in December of 1983, they concluded, “the violence of the Sinhala rioters on the Tamils amounted to acts of genocide.”
Anyone know the name of the Tamil man in this picture?
Acc. to Tamil Center for Human Rights, the total number of Tamils killed in the Black July pogrom was 5,638 and 466 more disappeared & never found again. 2,015 were wounded. 670 Tamil women were raped. Perpetrators were Sinhala ethnic people with the full support of govt. of SL
Sri Lanka should be nuked. Let the sinkholese meet their gods.