19 March, 2024

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Black July – Setting The Record Straight

By Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah

Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah

Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah

Black July – Was It a Spontaneous Reaction to the Ambush killing of Thirteen Soldiers by the LTTE or A Sri Lankan Government Sponsored, Pre-meditated and Targeted Campaign of State Terror Unleashed on the Tamil People amounting to Genocide?

– Where Was I on Black July? What Caused the Hardening of Resolve for a Free Tamil Eelam?

As we mark the 33rd anniversary of Black July – the 1983 pogrom against the Tamil people orchestrated, as evidence will show, by the Sri Lankan government of J R Jayewardene, as part of a continuing Genocide, lasting 10 days, leaving more than 3000 Tamils killed, 18,000 Tamil homes and numerous businesses burned down and personal possessions lost/looted with 150,000 Tamils made homeless, resulting in an unknown number of internally displaced Tamil people and in a mass exodus of Tamil refugees fleeing the island, now part of a formidable Tamil Diaspora, my thoughts go back to where I was on Black July, what hardened my resolve for a free Tamil Eelam and more importantly the need for setting the record straight on who was responsible for Black July, whether it was a spontaneous response to the ambush killing of thirteen Sri Lankan soldiers allegedly by the LTTE or was pre-meditated?

Black July - - book by E ThorntonHence the need to write…

Additionally, it would be remiss not to forget at this time what Tamil people at the time of Black July could not foresee or ever imagine would happen in their life time – that the worst was yet to come, that there was on the horizon a much worse, far more brutal, hitherto unspeakable, horrendous mass atrocity against the same people – the Tamil people in the island of Sri Lanka, once known as Ceylon – this time at Mullivaikkal. One that happened in 2009 intended actually to finish off, on a mass scale, the Tamil race in the island.

Where Was I on Black July? What Caused the Hardening of Resolve for a Free Eelam?

Before examining whether the Sri Lankan government’s claim was true that Black July was a reaction to ambush killing of the soldiers, I want to look back and recall those fateful days and weeks in July 1983, remembering where I was and ponder on certain defining moments in my life, those that hardened my resolve for a free Tamil Eelam, which I can’t seem to shake, when nothing substantive is being offered in the form of reconciliation and a political solution. We were living in Manila in the Philippines in the late 70s and 80s until the late 90s. In the month of July 1983 we decided to go back home and also visit London. The first leg of our journey was Colombo. Once we arrived, rumours were circulating amongst the Tamil community of an impending pogrom against Tamils. We were asked not to travel around too much and hence our plans to go to Jaffna, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Kathirkamam were put off indefinitely, very much to our disappointment and dismay. With much concern for the safety of the Tamil people very much in the forefront of our minds, we proceeded on the second leg of our journey to London to visit with my sister-in-law and her husband who was then the High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in the UK – with plans afoot to return home to Colombo and Tamil Eelam on our way back to Manila. We were so sure of returning that we even left half our luggage with relatives in Colombo.

But it was not to be.

On the 23rd of July our worst fears came true. Another pogrom – a Sri Lankan government sponsored, premeditated and targeted campaign of violence was unleashed on the Tamil people – on their person and on their properties – yet again.

A dire warning was received by the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in London as a fire bomb was thrown at the front door of his office, although swiftly extinguished, it was troubling to my sister-in-law!

Black July was Not Some Communal Riots

First things first. Black July was yet another government organised pogrom, not to be referred to as communal riots. The book ‘Sri Lanka island of Terror – An Indictment‘, one of the many historical accounts written about Black July and of the pain and suffering endured by the Tamil people, which is my main reference for this article, explains how previous pogroms (and there were many) and this one were incorrectly reported in the local and world media, as “communal riots”. A pogrom according the North American Encarta Dictionary is described as a, “planned campaign of persecution or extermination sanctioned by a government and directed against an ethnic group,” and let me tell you without mincing words that is how it should be referred to.
The book, written by E M Thornton and R. Niththyananthan in its 3rd chapter, captioned, ‘The Year of the Holocaust’ vividly describes not only the “build up to Black July, but calls it “an exercise in the genocide of a people” considering it was an “organised massacre” and “in scale and ferocity” and “in sheer barbarism, exceeded anything that they had previously endured in the hands of the Sinhalese majority”:

“The year 1983 was the blackest in history of the Tamil population in Sri Lanka. It was the year of the July holocaust, an organised massacre, an exercise in the genocide of a people that in scale and ferocity, in sheer barbarism, exceeded anything that they had previously endured in the hands of the Sinhalese majority. Accustomed as they were to living in daily fear of their lives, even the Tamils were unprepared for the blind and insensate fury unleashed on them in July 1983. The pogrom will forever remain a scar that can never be effaced, a front to the conscience of the whole civilised world. The Tamils all over the globe are pledged to ensure that it will never be forgotten.”

Unable to return to the island to finish the last leg of our journey we got back to Manila as bitter people, very concerned for the safety and wellbeing of our people and more determined than ever to stand up to Sri Lankan state terrorism and educate the outside world. If the 1958 pogrom against Tamils when I was only 7 years old, crying for my parents who were caught up in Kurunagala, while I was in Colombo, had stirred up some emotions in me, if my study of government and the Soulbury constitution had some bearing on me, if events thereafter, even whilst living abroad, most notably the Vaddukoddai Resolution, had aroused more feelings of disenchantment in me, beckoning a strong desire for a separate Eelam, Black July suffice to say made me a much more hardened freedom and human rights activist, for more than one reason and there was no turning back from then on!

Having heard of the massive displacement of Tamils, most rendered homeless after their possessions were looted and houses were burned down with some of their loved ones murdered in cold blood by Sinhalese goons, (reminding me of the 300 strong mob carrying Molotov cocktails surrounding my husband’s family home, to burn it down with him, his mother, two sisters, his brother and around 90 Tamils who had sought refuge in their home – a mob whom he had held at bay in the 1958 pogrom ), I was already making plans in my mind even in mid-air flying back, to utilise the reservoir of goodwill in the international community in Manila, to seek their help to provide relief for my people.

Upon our return, my husband and I decided to collect non-perishable items especially baby milk and also new clothes to send to our people, those in dire need, who were internally displaced and had lost everything. Thankfully the Philippine Red Cross was willing to air-freight the goods free of charge – as soon as we approached them for help.

Unfortunately, mainly some Sinhalese professional staff in the Asian Development Bank (ADB) where my husband worked prevented us from collecting potentially huge amounts of relief goods from the large ADB community through the auspices of the ADB Women’s Club. They did not like our letter of appeal which mentioned the word “Tamils” as displaced and needing help – they wanted the word “Tamils” replaced by the word “Sri Lankan”. They went to the committee spreading stories that we were associated with the LTTE. And sadly some Sinhalese who were leading the objections, involved in scare mongering, were relatives through marriage, of some Tamil cousins of mine.

The rejection of the letter of appeal, put paid to our plans to send a large consignment of relief goods to our people. Although with the help of some in the Tamil community, we went ahead and collected as much milk foods and new clothes and sent it anyway.

This sour incident impacted our lives in Manila and has stayed with me, widening the ethnic divide and causing the break-up of friendships that I once thought had special meaning. No more joint Tamil – Sinhala parties or coffee mornings; no more New Year celebrations together or attendance at Sri Lankan flag raising ceremonies or independence day events; no more going to Sri

Lankan Sinhala cultural events and manning Sri Lanka stalls and pavilions for me!

The LTTE Was Born As a Natural Response to Defend Against Sinhala State Violence and Oppression

Before considering the build up to Black July which would undoubtedly show. “the escalation of blatant state terrorism,” against the Tamil people, it must be remembered, the LTTE, a militant liberation movement calling for a separate state, referred to as ‘freedom fighters’ by Tamils was born as a natural response to a need to defend the Tamil people against the violence inflicted on them by the Sri Lankan state and its agents, and as a response to government policies and legislation that rendered them second class citizens in their own homeland. Egged on by a Sinhala Buddhist supremacist ideology, utilizing its majoritarian stranglehold in parliament, successive Sinhala governments, systematically engineered the establishment of a Sinhala Buddhist state, executing its plans to destroy the Tamil nation in the North East of the island through legislative enactments, policies and two illegal constitutions 1972 and 1978 that replaced the one drafted by the British which had in Section 29/2 an entrenched provision safeguarding Tamil rights that was removed without the agreement of the Tamil people.

It must be also remembered, the Sri Lankan military were occupying the NorthEast from 1956 and their numbers were growing as the government started to introduce more and more legislation and policies to curb the Tamils people’s rights to enjoy equal status – with the Sinhalese with respect to their language, to hold their government jobs with promotions and increments at par with their Sinhalese counterparts without having to gain proficiency in Sinhalese and to enter university solely on merit without discrimination and being subjected to standardization rules which demanded higher marks from Tamil students with the sole purpose of reversing the high rate of Tamil students entering university. The military was deployed by the Sri Lankan government to crush peaceful protests against government oppression, persecution, marginalisation and violence.

Who was Responsible for Black July? The Events Building Up To Black July that Amounted to a Display of “Blatant State Terrorism” plus the Sri Lankan President’s Imposition of “Press Censorship” and Promulgation of the ‘Public Security Act’ that Gave Cart Blanch Powers to the Forces to Bury the Dead without Post- Mortem Examinations, Inquest or Judicial Inquiry – Prior to Black July – Show Black July was Premeditated and Planned Ahead by President J R Jayewardene:

The Sinhalese insist the 1983 pogrom against the Tamil people was caused allegedly by an ambush by the LTTE which killed thirteen Sri Lankan soldiers. Contrary to Sinhala propaganda, I refer again to the book, ‘Sri Lanka Island of Terror – An Indictment’ – chapter 3 – that seeks to document the long build up of events, from March 1983 to Black July, that amounted to a display of “blatant state terrorism”, involving attacks including acts of torture against Tamil detainees, Tamil NGOs, the Tamil Press, Tamil students, Tamil protesters, Tamil Human Rights Advocates, men, women and children – setting cities a “blaze”, burning down the “vegetable market”, “shops” and “petrol stations”, in addition to destroying Tamil buildings, Tamil houses, crops, equipment, documents, perpetrated allegedly by Sri Lankan security forces government officials and government employed thugs. Further, the issuance of two very suspect orders – the imposition of press censorship and the promulgation of the ‘Public security Act’ that gave Security Forces powers to bury the dead without post-mortem examination, inquest, or judicial inquiry of any kind, by President the J R Jayewardene, immediately prior to Black July “lend support to the view” that Black July was premeditated, planned and executed by his government.

The security forces have gone berserk each time a soldier was killed in attacks and counter attacks between them and LTTE – going for innocent bystanders, setting the place on fire and destroying everything in their path leaving behind only “rubble and “devastation”.

Furthermore, authors, Thornton and Niththyananthan pointed to the then prevailing volatile situation in the country caused by the government press and the Buddhist priesthood inciting hatred: “All over the country, anti-Tamil feeling was being whipped up by posters and inflammatory articles in the state owned Sinhalese news papers. The ideal of a Sinhala – Buddhist state in which the Tamil people had no place was being propagated by a fanatical Buddhist priesthood that had long since renounced the Buddhist ideals of non-violence and brotherly love and replaced them by a gospel of racial hatred towards the Tamils and a false doctrine of the Sinhalese as a superior and glorious people.”

Black July – Was it a Spontaneous Reaction to an Ambush Killing of Thirteen Soldiers by the LTTE?

Here are Some Extracts, Verbatim, From the Book that Set the Records Straight that Black July was Pre-meditated, a Must Read!

  1. In the build up to the July massacres there had been a progressive escalation in blatant state terrorism. In March the widely respected Gandhiyam Society had come under attack…on March14th 1983, officials acting on the instructions of the Assistant Government Agent of the area, moved into the Pankullam settlement near Trincomalee, huts were burned down, farm building destroyed and crops set on fire. Tractors and trucks donated by NOVIB were destroyed. On April 6th a joint police and army operation raided the head office of Gandhiyam, at Vavuniya, seizing documents, files and books. The offices were sealed; volunteer staff were questioned about the activities of Gandhiyam, accused of lying and beaten up. Dr Rajasunderam, the 46 year old organising secretary of the society as well as 3 visiting German students were arrested and taken away…and was much later (found) to be at the infamous Gurunagar army camp. He was refused access to a lawyer.
  2. On April 8th, Mr. S A David. President and founder and Gandhiyam was arrested. He too was taken to the Gurunagar camp. There he and Dr Rajasunderam experienced the same regime of brutality and torture… Whenever he was in the mood, David later recalled, Commander Udugampola would come drunk, with a glass of arrack in his hand and open the cells, stripped the detainees and assaulted, kicked and cursed them. I could hear cries of pain and groans throughout the nights and see naked colleagues hanging head down from high window bars…He himself experienced Udugampola’s sadism on one occasion when he was forced to lie down while guards trampled on his naked body.
  3. David’s treatment was mild compared what was meted out to other detainees.. Dr Rajasunderam was severely beaten, his left hand dislocated, his ear drums broken. On several occasions he was left unconscious on the floor after beatings. Worse than the physical torments to men of the calibre of David and Rajasunderam were the sadistic mental cruelties they had to endure.
  4. Parties of school cadets were regularly brought in to watch their degradation and jeer at detainees.”The army is taking care to raise a new generation of Tamil haters,” David wrote later.
  5. The other detainees were subjected to equally sadistic and brutal treatment. Their “crimes’ included carrying posters, attending classes on Marxist philosophy, having books on Eelam in their possession and so on.
  6. In the Tamil areas meanwhile the reign of terror continued unabated. In April, a three day peace march, calling for the repeal of the draconian ‘Prevention of Terrorism Act’ was attacked by police with tear gas. The city of Jaffna responded with a ‘hartal’ with shops and cinemas closed. On April 7th young men and girls distributing leaflets, calling for a ‘hartal’ in protest against the arrest of Dr Rajasunderam, were seized and incarcerated. While in custody they were subjected to beatings and torture.
  7. All over the country, anti-Tamil feeling was being whipped up by posters and inflammatory articles in the state owned Sinhalese newspapers. The ideal of a Sinhala – Buddhist state in which the Tamil people had no place was being propagated by a fanatical Buddhist priesthood that had long since renounced the Buddhist ideals of non-violence and brotherly love and replaced them by a gospel of racial hatred towards the Tamils and a false doctrine of the Sinhalese as a superior and glorious people. It was a gospel that had much in common with the Nazi propaganda of the Third Reich and the ultimate of the Tamils was to be very much akin to that of the Jews in Hitler’s Germany. The priesthood had over the years achieved an even greater dominance over the government and the ruling party with whom they shared a common objective of the subjugation and if necessary, annihilation of the Tamil population on the island.
  8. On the night of May 11 – 12 Tamil students at the University of Peradeniya experienced a night of terror when they were attacked by a mob of Sinhala under-graduates who broke down their doors and dragged them out of their hostel rooms. Attacking them with clubs and iron bars, they ordered them to leave the campus by 6 am. Their lecture notes were destroyed, a grater calamity perhaps to the students than the physical attacks. Organised search parties roamed the university searching for subversive literature, abortive as it happened as the Tamils were mainly medical and engineering students who had not involved themselves in politics and had kept a low profile at the university. They were obliged to flee the campus before taking their final examinations. No action was taken against the Sinhalese students by the university authorities.
  9. The political repression continued. The presses of the English Language Saturday Review and the Tamil language paper Suthanthiran were closed down by the police and their editors arrested. Kovai Mahesan, 46 year old editor of Suthanthiran ended up in the notorious Gurunagar camp where he was subject to the same brutality and torture as the other detainees. The closure of these two papers was a grievous loss to the Tamil cause.
  10. On May 18 for the second time in two years the city of Jaffna went up in flames after a shoot- out between guerrillas and army personnel in which a corporal was killed. The army descended in force on the city arriving by helicopter, truck and jeep. Six hundred armed with petrol bombs and torches surrounded one of the most densely populated areas of the city. Using their trucks to break down the gates they looted the houses of their contents before setting them on fire. Men. Women and children ran for their lives taking refuge in Temples, Churches and in the precincts of the university. Another group attacked the shopping area burning down the vegetable market as well as numerous shops and petrol stations. Innocent passersby were attacked; when eventually the last vehicles rumbled out of the city, there was only rubble and devastation left behind. Close upon a thousand people had been rendered destitute overnight.
  11. Throughout June sporadic outbreaks of anti-Tamil violence continued all over the island. On June 1. Following a shoot-out between Tigers and the air-force personnel when two of the latter were killed, Vavuniya town was set ablaze. Within minutes of the incident servicemen came and began indiscriminately assaulting bystanders and passersby. Shopkeepers hurriedly put up their shutters and school children were sent home. Soon the market area of the town was ablaze and the bellowing clouds of smoke visible two miles away.
  12. Vavuniya was left like a “blitzed town” with streets empty apart from armed patrols. Trains and buses had stopped running and the people dared not venture out of their because of the risk of being beaten-up by servicemen.
  13. In the eastern Tamil city of Trincomalee attacks began in early June and continued for several days. On June 4, the Mansion House was burnt down. Bombs were thrown at the city’s MP, R Sampanthan and he narrowly escaped with his life. All these acts of violence had occurred during curfew hours which raised the suspicion in Tamil circles that they had been perpetrated by the security forces themselves or by thugs acting in connivance with them.
  14. The Tamil Times forthrightly declared, “The pattern of violence reveals that there are forces at work which have connection at least with certain sections of the government. Hand bombs were thrown at the residence of Mr. Kumar Ponnampalam. President of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress. ..Mr Ponnampalam had withdrawn his party’s candidates from local elections and called the LTTE, “freedom fighters”. After the attack Mr. Ponnampalam said the bombs had been aimed directly at his bedroom..So the intention must have been to kill rather than merely frighten.
  15. And so events moved inexorably towards the holocaust of July 1983.
  16. The July terror was claimed by the government as a spontaneous reaction to the ambush and shoot-out between the Tigers and a convoy of army lorries that had occurred a few days previously. The action by the Liberation Tigers had been in retaliation for the crimes against the Tamil people that had gone unpunished, the shooting of six innocent school boys waiting at a bus stop by army personnel and the recent abduction and subsequent multiple rape of three young Tamil girls one of whom had later committed suicide. These crimes had gone un-condemned and unpunished.
  17. There were two indications in the days immediately prior to the problem which led support to this view. The first was that on July 19th, only five days before the outbreak of violence and before the guerrilla incident claimed to have been its cause, President Jayewardene had issued an emergency order imposing censorship of the press and restricting the movements of journalists around the island.
  18. Secondly earlier in July when the situation was comparatively quiet, Jayawardene had promulgated the sinister ‘Public Security Act’ regulation permitting the security forces to immediately bury or cremate dead bodies without post-mortem examination, inquest, or judicial inquiry of any kind. – David Selbourne himself expelled in late June, writing of the measure in The Guardian of July 7, reported,” President Jayawardene has ensured that security personnel in no way be harassed by the law in the event of being compelled to use their fire power.”

Black July – Was it a Spontaneous Reaction to the Ambush Killing of Thirteen Soldiers by the LTTE or A Sri Lankan Government Sponsored, Pre-meditated and Targeted Campaign of State Terror Unleashed on the Tamil People?

Contrary to the “claims” made by the government of J R Jayewardene, the following paragraph by authors Thornton and Niththyananthan, illustrate Black July was, “a pre-meditated, orchestrated and well organised campaign, constituting, “nothing less than the systematic genocide of an entire people”:

Retrospective examination of the event immediately prior to the massacre suggested that far from being a spontaneous out break it was the culmination of pre-meditated, orchestrated and well organised plans that the guerrilla incident was merely a convenient peg on which to hang an orgy of violence that was to strike the final blow on the Tamil nation, a blow from which it could never recover. To many experienced commentators the July pogrom was a sinister portent of the Sri Lankan government’s ultimate intentions towards the Tamil nation, an intention that was nothing less than the systematic genocide of an entire people – “the final solution” in fact of the Tamil problem.

“..really if I starve the Tamils out, the Sinhala people will be happy.”

The words of President Jayewardene made on 11th July 1983 still echo in my ear. I wait for the day that true reconciliation between us will come and whether Sinhalese or Tamil, we will be happy for each other and what the President said, if was true, won’t be true anymore:

“I am not worried about the opinion of the Jaffna people now.. Now we cannot think of them. Not about their lives or of their opinion about us…The more you put pressure in the north, the happier the Sinhalese people will be here… really if I starve the Tamils out, the Sinhala people will be happy.”

 

— from an interview with J.R. Jayewardene by Ian Ward. London Daily Telegraph, 11 July 1983.

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Latest comments

  • 39
    60

    Haven’t the Tamils done enough premeditated killings of Sinhalese, including pregnant women and innocent children? It is clear Tamil plans for genocide of Sinhalese have backfired on Tamils badly. Tamil invention of killings by suicide bombing has spread to Europe and America, but I doubt the citizens of those countries will be grateful to the Tamil community.The world knows quite a lot about Tamil terrorists and their support base, nobody will cry for them anymore.

    • 14
      23

      If JR had a “final solution” for Tamils, what is wrong with Prabakaran having a “final solution” for Sinhalese. Get it?

      • 16
        33

        What happened to Prabhakaran’s plan? There is a photo of the idiot lying in a pool of mud staring at the stars and, dead (refer Wiki). Seen footage of 300k of his followers emerging from the lagoon? Great plan he had and you can thank the fellow if you wish. JR has been misquoted, but I admit he was no angel, he failed to act to protect innocent victims in July 83.With suicide squads operating in US, Belgium, France, Germany unleashing terror and death unto innocents as did Tamils in Sri Lanka you won’t see much sympathy for your cause – it’s dead like Prabakaran.Get it?

        • 16
          6

          What happened to JR’s plan? The country is still paying after 33 years.

        • 11
          10

          Lal,

          You spewing venomous hatred and your uncivilised writing shows who you are.

    • 17
      10

      lal:

      “The world knows quite a lot about Tamil terrorists and their support base, nobody will cry for them anymore.”

      The last UNHRC resolution certainly seems to contradict your views. When the Tamils have to deal with “animals” they were right to take up arms to defend themselves. But wait a minute – the world body’s report implicates only the LTTE, not the Tamils as a whole. Of course “animals” won’t know the difference. Short of calling them animals/beasts, the SL regime is the one carrying the brand name of “murderers, rapists, liars and cheats” So, what can one expect from an animal like you.

  • 22
    12

    A very good well argued peace. The reply above by Lal reflects the present mentality of the majority of the Sinhalese particularly after the genocide of May 2009. The Sinhalese think that they have accomplished the mission of subjugating the Tamils that originated in 1948.

    Immediately after the end of the colonial era I worked in Sinhalese areas and as a bachelor chummed up together with Sinhala government servants. There was no racial or other communal feelings among us. There was mutual respect. I do not want to mention name but I cannot forget this gentleman who lived with me. He was one Ganegama Lyanaratchige Thejapala Gunawardena. He is an old Ananda College product and member of the cadet team. What a gent he was. May he live long. But from 1948 Sinhala politicians changed the mentality of all future Sinhala public servants through their partisan logic. Late LH Metananda and P de S Kularutna (Principal of Ananda College) were prime culprits. Their venomous propaganda resulted in 95% reduction of Tamil public servants.

    If merit was given place of in the selection of public servants the economic and political situation of Sri-Lanka would not have gone down this dismally. No permanent secretary would have allowed a president to loot money in the way Maraya Mahinda Rajapkse did. See what a sorry figure the Pesident Secretary Weeratunga exhibited when he defended Mahinda Rajapksa,s genocide etc.

    It has been well established that all pogroms against the Tamil minorities after 1948 were state sponsored. Now it is left to the Tamils to present these truths to the UN in the coming UNHRC meeting in 2017 and demand for a federal state that is the only feasible solution in the preset political impasse in Sri-Lanak.

    Ms Usha Sri states in the article “The Tamils all over the globe are pledged to ensure that it will never be forgotten”. This is not adequate and we must progress from here to real political freedom. Do not worry about criticism. It will be there always. You know the world itself is made up yin and yang ie positive and negative.

    All the world knows it was the apathy and self disinterestedness of the Tamils that led to Tamil militancy which could not be controlled by anybody. If Tamil leaders like Mahatma Gandhi fought for Tamil political freedom the sad events would not have happened. Now Tamils have to face Sinhala hegemony. Now or never. Seek a true solution by all Tamils working together and listening to saner counselling from people like Justice Vigneswaran and reach freedom.

  • 17
    16

    Firstly, everyone, except for those who are Green-blooded, will agree that JR essentially conducted what amounts to a war crime. (Ah…Sorry war crimes were not invented before 2005. Let’s call it a state sponsored something). And this article is evidence enough Tamils will never ever want to live together as one nation with the Sinhalese. Enough evidence to prove the notion that federalism eventually lead to a separate state. End of story.
    Now, people have to decide whether that is something Sri Lankan’s want. Simple as that. So stop this nonsense of reconciliation, devolution rubbish, get on with how to separate with the minimum damage and disruption.

    • 14
      5

      Nuwan:

      “And this article is evidence enough Tamils will never ever want to live together as one nation with the Sinhalese.”

      “So stop this nonsense of reconciliation, devolution rubbish, get on with how to separate with the minimum damage and disruption.”

      You think Sinhala politicians are fools? It is on the Tamils’ issue that they have built and strong and lasting political careers. Look the Sirisena, he has to wag the Tamils to ensure votes from the Sinhalese. And that is why there is absolutely no chance of the Sinhalese holding on to their charade. A lot of bloodshed could have been avoided if sense had prevailed and the Tamils were left alone. By now the Sinhalese must realise that there is not going to be any amity between the two races. Mahinda Rajapakse and his group of gangsters wanted to sujugate the Tamils and he got thrown out.

  • 16
    6

    The July 1983 all-island pogrom was the culmination of 115 periodic massacres of groups of Tamils from 1956 to 2001 recorded by the North East Secretariat Of Human Rights (NESOHR) – available for perusal on the web.

    • 5
      10

      Dear Justice

      “The July 1983 all-island pogrom was the culmienation of 115 periodic massacres of groups of Tamils from 1956 to 2001”

      So that is your “Justice”. Shame on you. Your Culmination Occured in 1983 for an event that took place in 2001. Like the premeditiation/spontanious Theory for the happenings in 1983.

      The day after the announcing by JRJ. ” If you want War I will give you War…….. ”

      tamil Fought and lost the last battle after 33years. Who played how is immaterial.

      It is time to reconcile before everything is lost for the inhabitant of Sri Lanka. The Sinhalesae Tamils, Muslims, Buddhists Christans, Hindus etc etc.

      levi

      • 8
        3

        levi,

        You are correct.

        What I meant to say was that the July 1983 all-island pogrom was an acute episode of a series of massacres of batches of Tamils, from 1956 to 2001.

        file:///C:/Users/dr.s/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/IE/UX5SUC9P/Lest_We_Forget_p1.pdf

        I hope that this is allowed by CT.

  • 12
    20

    Who gives damn about or (cr.p) about whether it is spontaneous or not. Many lives lost, many properties were destroyed, families disoriented above all good name of our country maligned. That is the bottom line, don’t engage in further analysis and try to make a name for yourself.

    We need to get on with our lives and create an environment within Sri Lanka that every ethnic differences can be celebrated. We want our children (Sinhala and Tamil) to be happy and never face a similar situation again.

    • 31
      13

      “We need to get on with our lives and create an environment within Sri Lanka that every ethnic differences can be celebrated. We want our children (Sinhala and Tamil) to be happy and never face a similar situation again.”

      HAPPY: Ramakrishna, yes thank you for reflecting my last para – make it true, i’ll be so happy!

      Tell the Sri Lankan Sinhala establishment and if you can influence them ensure it’s reflected in the new constitution!

      And thank me for enabling you to share your vision with CT readers!

      • 12
        20

        Yes , I do believe that I can make a big difference in the SINHALA BUDDHIST community in Sri Lanka; for me it is “SWARNALANKA”. By the way there is no such thing known as Sinhala Establishment; the establishment you are referring to is the main curse, the leaders of that establishment are masquerading as Sinhala Buddhists.
        The values and image of the Sinhala Buddhists have been maligned and bunch of political perverts have taken over the birthrights of mine, yours, millions of Sinhala Buddhists and other millions of ethnic minorities in SWARNALANKA. The time has come to free our country from the dubious political leadership.
        No Sinhala Buddhist wake-up in the morning and think of harming any Tamil or any citizen or any living thing on earth. On the other hand, all Sri Lankan politicians irrespective of their political affiliation seem to be plotting or scheming to set one ethnic group against the other. The objective of these fellows are either to retain power or dream of securing power in the future. They do not care how many lives will be destroyed in the process. That is the bottom line and that is the curse.
        We have watched this dirty game from the sidelines since 1953.

        • 6
          0

          porriki,

          voted bodhi sira on command??

          • 1
            6

            Adams;

            I have not used my SACRED VOTE (in any election, parliamentary, presidential, provincial, pradeshiya or city level since 1953) to elect any politician in Sri Lanka. Remember it is a sacred gift to us; people have not used it wisely. That is one of the reasons for the present dilemma. Remember it is sacred; it exercises the power of the citizen. I hope you have ABILITY to understand.

            • 0
              0

              “”Remember it is sacred;””

              practical side: Batth parcel and Addiya.

              for the sake of red?? sacred stupidity don’t know how to live life by negotiation.

              • 0
                0

                a person who never ask; “how to do“?
                does not achieve much they say.

                ” it exercises the power of the citizen. “

                power is beyond work So which one are you my friend??

                primarily we the citizen were born to fend for food.

              • 1
                8

                When there is nothing to substantiate your point of view, do not resort to labeling your opponents as “Reds”, terrorists, racist or fascist.

                • 6
                  1

                  ” as “Reds”, terrorists, racist or fascist. “”

                  Small mind weeping but has no solution because you have no connections.
                  Your knowledge of the region is of no consequence left bigot!

                  truman democrat handed the nation island and 1 million sq kilo meters of hindu land to islam or low caste. Obama Hussain democrat (social workers son) handed over death May 2009 and Samanta P plays elle with muslims of jaffna as there are no tamils.

                  This is colombo higher than your muttai soru.

        • 3
          1

          Hello Lal Ramakrishna

          “No Sinhala Buddhist wake-up in the morning and think of harming any Tamil or any citizen or any living thing on earth”

          Thank God for that. You are a great intellectual.

      • 6
        31

        USSR,
        What are you trying to achieve by writing and attempting to revive something that happened over 30 years ago?? If you and your organization the LTTE decided that terrorism is the way to achieve what ever the goal you had for the Tamils, you should have foreseen the consequences whether it be from the Gov. or rowdy mobs. You acting as terror leaders of the LTTE are responsible for whatever the “blatant state terrorism” that the innocent Tamil civilians had to face. This is why I say from day one since independence each and every Tamil leader has betrayed our innocent Tamils. You and your vapid “Tamil gov in exile” continue to do the same and deprive Tamils of Sri Lanka live in peace!
        You writing this type of article is not going to change a darn thing to the Tamil-Sinhalese harmony other than inject venom.

        • 27
          5

          “”What are you trying to achieve by writing and attempting to revive something that happened over 30 years ago?? “”

          tatte tarre ganava.

          She has narrated what she saw as a daughter-in-law of judge at that moment of time.
          I was present a week before and saw the blood and gore there is no denying it. There is no denying who the brutes in sheep clothes who unleashed the blood. Many foreigners domiciled saw it and were attacked too the same way you call anyone a tiger terror.

          “”You writing this type of article is not going to change a darn thing to the Tamil-Sinhalese harmony other than inject venom.””

          Come Trump and your guilt is about to explode.
          Republican Hindu Coalition!!

          • 3
            19

            donald
            Have you seen LTTE suicide murderers in action in the south? Blasted out body parts of over 100,000 innocent civilians including children? Why don’t you talk about those? These happened for 30 long years. Your 1983 happened only one day, right?

            • 20
              2

              “”These happened for 30 long years. Your 1983 happened only one day, right? “”

              Holman!!!

              i had just arrived (17th july) in the land with a European team of recently practicing professionals. Starting Colombo 7 where we resided- We saw it all on bicycle which was easiest way to travel during curfew.

              It was till Friday the worst when JR retorted back and lost his ambude to Maggie Thatcher opening the doors of the world to Urban Tamils unlike you village badda.

              • 3
                15

                donald
                You have seen nothing!
                I have seen 30 years of body parts of women and children flying all over Sri Lanka. Talk about that too my friend.

                • 13
                  1

                  keep to the article and I am the man of the moment. july 83 reminiscing.

                  Trump era is near the hindu alter. no more bodhi… no hodda.

        • 7
          21

          She has never said she wants Tamil-Sinhala harmony.Perhaps, the motive is to create divisiveness and more spilling of blood to achieve the objective/s.

          • 16
            2

            lal:

            At last you caught the essence in your tiny little brain, only that the divisiveness of “us” and “them” was started and nurtured by your sinhalese leaders. Your twisted brain sometimes does fail you.

    • 13
      1

      Aiyo Ramakrishna, when you say “above all good name of our country maligned” that shows what an ignorant idiot you are. Just like this banana republic, you can draw as many bottom lines as you wish but this country is beyond redemption. Usha or writings has nothing to do with the malignancy that has besieged the country because the majority fools have been cosily napping while the politicians have been robbing right under their noses. These politicians were able to do it because they know they can make monkeys out of you guys.

  • 25
    3

    Only hammer blow of justice can win the rest is all sin and spin.
    Usha and co got just 3 months to dig up a gold mine at Chicago and meet Republican Hindu Coalition – “Shalli” Kumar- he is funding Trump and is Modi right hand. But don’t go with ghetto idea.The men are fireworks and according to Zee news he has paid 2 million on campaign and organising arts culture to collect more.

  • 12
    16

    Should the Sinhalese and the Muslims also recognized the dates on which LTTE killed Sinhalese and Muslims villagers and conduct events? How stupid this women can be?

    • 8
      22

      ‘How stupid this women can be? ‘

      Very. But her hatred is more dangerous than her stupidity.

  • 11
    22

    Sadly six million Jews perished in the holocaust [Shoah], the Tamil issue is not to be compared to what took place in the nineteen thirties .
    The writer is trying at the very best to polarize the past conflict in Sri Lanka .
    Both sides are equally to blame so you Dravidian race of people its time to move on from the past and live in harmony.

  • 6
    14

    This is just politics not a race issue ,same race same color different language.

  • 8
    4

    Worst things have happened after 1983 Black July riots and the Tamils
    have been degraded to second class citizens position without a drop of blood been dropped during the period of transition.

    That was the shameful past of our country and it is time that the new
    leaders should strive hard to bring unity among the major communities
    as unity cannot be pushed down the throat of people. The minorities should develop a feeling that they can move freely in their areas,
    predominantly occupied by their people with their culture, religion
    and language preserved.

  • 11
    12

    Usha if you have such a passion, why are you living abroad? Why not in Jaffna and fight for the rights of your Tamils? Be honest to yourself first before lecturing the whole world.

    • 7
      21

      Park,
      Good question. This why I always recent diaspora Tamils who live in comfort in the west and inject venom to innocent Tamils living in SL. If she is so concerned about Tamils of SL she should come down and help improve their lives using funds she collected for the LTTE.

  • 6
    4

    Usha

    Late Mr Thangathurai’s remarkable speech delivered at the end of his trial deserves publishing in CT. would you please forward it to CT soon.

  • 10
    4

    From “The Thoughts of JR J” (as told to Ian Ward. London Daily Telegraph, 11 July 1983) “I am not worried about the opinion of the Jaffna people now.. Now we cannot think of them. Not about their lives or of their opinion about us…The more you put pressure in the north, the happier the Sinhalese people will be here… really if I starve the Tamils out, the Sinhala people will be happy”
    “Tamils do not matter” syndrome started with Sinhala Only, JR J conveys it and even today is alive and kicking.

    The 1983 pogrom started on 24 July. Usha has not mentioned that it started at Wellikade Prison when Tamil remand prisoners were literally butchered by fellow Sinhalese prisoner goons and prison guards. The army and police were just outside – certainly listening to the cries for help. One of those killed was Kuttumani – the first list Tamil MP.

    Has the JR J mindset “…Not about their lives…” changed? Photos of some May 2009 Mullivaikal incidents emerged. There is one of twelve year old Balachandran captured, given tit bits and made to sit and wait (for??). Probably the soldier contacted his superior as to what to do. The superior in turn would have contacted Colombo. The next photo shows the child shot dead from very close range.

    • 4
      25

      pillai
      Which father takes his son to a terror war battle field?
      Why was he not advised to swallow the cyanide capsule as ordered to the other child soldiers?

      • 8
        3

        Eusense:

        You think you are that smart, isn’t it? Show me the law, both local and international, that mandates a captured war prisoner or a child whose father was a captured/dead soldier could be summarily executed?

        He wanted to take the cyanide but unfortunately you grabbed it from him. Now news making its rounds that you were the one who shot and murdered Balachandran.

        • 3
          17

          jansee
          You seem to be of low IQ. Did I say this child soldier was not executed? To be frank, I don’t know what happened. My question was, why he was not ordered to take the CN capsule as soon as he was captured, like the other child soldiers from poor families?
          For your information this was a terrorist war not a conventional war where a war is declared. LTTE suicide murderers in civilian clothes suicide murdered innocent civilians and unsuspecting military soldiers. If you call this a conventional war, which local or/and international law mandates this kind of suicide murdering?
          Use your brain, in terrorist wars either you kill or get killed by the unidentifiable enemy. That is what the LTTE asked for!

          Nice story about CN capsule being grabbed by somebody!!! Go tell that story to somebody who was born yesterday!
          You know what, the latest news is that this kid grabbed a machine gun from a soldier and started shooting. Soldiers had to shoot and kill him to save themselves.
          End of story.

          • 10
            2

            Eusense:

            A war by any name is war. Get that into your stupid head. And there are rules governing the conduct of wars and the warring parties. Your silly attempt should enlighten your half-wit brain that SL has signed all those conventions related to the conduct of such wars and you can’t pleade innocence or feign ignorance. That will make you even more stupid.

            Are your soldiers that stupid (surely they should have better brains than you do) to leave him a bunker with a gun in his hand? Snap your donkey ears because they are not justice to you.

            “If you call this a conventional war, which local or/and international law mandates this kind of suicide murdering?”

            Aren’t you tired of showing off your stupidity. Did I mention this as a conventional war? Why are you that stupid? I was talking about a captured war prisoner. Do you understand that or not? A CAPTURED WAR PRISONER. The interesting twist was your equally stupid masters announced initially that Balachandran died during the war but subsequently changed the story when news and images surfaced showing him sitting in the bunker (minus the gun you foolish idiot has been talking about).

            The story has not ended. The Tamils will not let you sinhalese sleep peacefully. You deny the peace to the Tamils, you will reap what you sow.

            • 2
              14

              jansee
              You can call any name you want and I don’t care what SL has signed but any group that impart terror on our citizens and suicide murder them has to be annihilated. And that is what the GOSL did and I demand the GOSL to do it again and the military stay put in the north, specially when terror supporters like you say “The story has not ended. The Tamils will not let you Sinhalese sleep peacefully.”.
              Don’t you always say the Sinhalese are stupid? That is why they let a gun within the reach of a child terrorist.

              You are a supreme moron! You say “Did I mention this as a conventional war?” This is while you earlier said “Show me the law, both local and international, that mandates a captured war prisoner or a child whose father was a captured/dead soldier could be summarily executed?” where you try to tell me it is against the rules of a conventional war, implying this LTTE terror war was a conventional war!! Nothing but idiocy!
              Stop writing garbage and wasting my time.

              • 4
                1

                eusense:

                “I don’t care what SL has signed but any group that impart terror on our citizens and suicide murder them has to be annihilated.”

                Of course, it is a well-known fact that you people are pathetic liars and cheats who have no regard for signed agreements and promises. That is why the country has gone to the dogs. There is no surprise on that. Just a piece of advice. If you don’t care for international covenants, just get out, as no one is going to stop you. Of course, you don’t have the balls to do it. Even the butcher MR will tell stories to donkeys like you but send a team to secretly meet the UNHRC people behind the back door. That shows what kind of fools you are. The pride with which you are running around is hollow, just like how drunkards behave.

                You are a zero nut to make demands of anything. I have had already mentioned that the Tamils will continue to screw the balls of the sinhalese and I gave a few instances but a jerk like you will be a slippery snake, always. Care to answer them at least now?

                To a donkey, nothing makes sense. But let me try. Before even the Tamils took up arms to defend themselves, since independence the Tamils have been alienated, raped and murdered. The state was the main perpetrator. Then came the burning of the Jaffna Library. If the regime has an axe to grind against the LTTE that is what it should have done but the 1983 pogrom proved that you people are worst than animals. Even a thousand buddhas cannot change these animals. Until then what was a fringe group became an overnight sensation. If the state had cared to treat all citizens fairly the Tamils would have no need to turn to the LTTE. The Tamils realised the animals, rapist and murderers you chaps are with no sense of morality and are nothing but greedy beasts. The fact remains that you are an empty tin. Everything is moving as it should and there is nothing you can do to stop. If you are that hero you seem to think of, you should have stopped Cameron but you couldn’t because you have no balls.

                “This is while you earlier said “Show me the law, both local and international, that mandates a captured war prisoner or a child whose father was a captured/dead soldier could be summarily executed?…..implying this LTTE terror war was a conventional war!!.”

                OK, ok I get it. Talking to a donkey requires patience. Of course a donkey like you can imply anything it wants but don’t be a stupid sob. Read again and again and show me where did I mention of the type of war. I only mentioned war prisoners. Who is the garbage here?

                “Don’t you always say the Sinhalese are stupid? That is why they let a gun within the reach of a child terrorist.”

                Haven’t I explained about the stupidity? The initial story by the regime was that Balachandran had died during the war but it started scrambling when news and images surfaced telling a different story. That butcher uncle of yours was even weeping saying how anyone had the heart to kill a child. Didn’t you read that. Now you know why I call them stupid.

  • 7
    2

    JRJ was the main cause for the two riots perpetrated against Tamils. In 1977 he stated on National radio challenging the tamils. “if you are are for peace we are ready for peace and if you are for war we are ready for war”. Who on earth would declare war against his own citizens. JRJ treated Tamils as aliens from another planet. He caused immense destruction upon Tamils started by none other than so called Father of the Nation D S Senanayake, continued by SWRD Banda, His wife Sirima supported by the NM, Colvin and the one who is living now Vasudeva. Latter three were shedding crocodile tears for Tamils when they were fringe politicians, but when they tasted power everything changed.

    Will Sri Lanka ever change from the communal politics for the masses to live in harmony?

  • 16
    7

    There is only one option left for the Tamils – Creation of an Independent State of Tamil Eelam, by peaceful means, for a permanent political solution to this long drawn ethnic plight of the Tamils.

    History has confirm beyond doubt (including ’83 and Mullivaikkal War), and even the last seven years, that continued subjugation with militarization and structural genocide will go on unabated. Chauvinist Sinhala Buddhist runs supreme is the message on the wall, in all languages.

    The Tamil leaders are continuing to be mischievous and misleading the community, demanding that we place our trust on a few, knowing very well, a home grown solution will never ever be possible.

    Tamils need to mobilise and pressure our leaders to unite and to demand the need for international community’s involvement to resolve this ethnic issue for a permanent political solution.

    If we can’t understand the problems of the past, and the existing current situation and the happenings around us, the structural genocide under military rule, how can we foresee the problems coming in the future? Another 83 will kill us all.

    No to Federalism, then what? What Constitution, and for who?

    Yes “ One Island two Nations”, a Sinhala Nation and a Tamil Nation, to live and let live, to live in peace with dignity, to protect our values, culture, heritage, religions, and to develop and prosper as two good neighbouring nations. A must WIN – WIN situation.

    Unite and Wake Up.

    Manicka Vasagar

    • 5
      28

      Mv
      Its not going to happen.
      Sri Lanka is one nation and will stay that way.

      • 8
        1

        eusense:

        You must have been dropping your pants each time a resolution is passed in the NPC that “irritates” the regime but there is nothing it can do. Just watch. When PM Cameron walked into the North and blasted the regime, it just could watch. When the NPC passed a resolution supporting an international investigation, much against the official stand against such investigations, it could just watch only. When every single foreign official, be it from UN/UNHRC or foreign govts visit also the Tamil representatives, do you think the regime can prevent that.

        You know why I am telling you all these? Your “Its not going to happen. Sri Lanka is one nation and will stay that way” sounds very hollow. You know what is so funny – it looks like the Tamils will not need to lift a finger to achieve that – the Sinhalese may give it on a silver platter. Just sit back and enjoy the fun. You, too.

        • 3
          16

          jansee,
          I don’t want to wake you up when you are dreaming and hallucinating. Enjoy the ride!

          • 2
            0

            Eusense:

            May be, may be not. When Martin Luther King dared to dream, why not the Tamils. The road we travel may be long but at the end of that road we see that glimmer of hope. It has never been easy. After all, we are not dealing with humans but animals. Even the animals in the jungle do what they have been procreated for. But these human animals are beyond human decency. We never thought it will be easy but the spirit and resolve will always, always brighten up the hearts of Tamils. From far away lands, they have carried that torch, not forgetting their roots and for fools like you, this is what I can say – until we succeed, there will be no success for the Sinhalese. That is the curse that has befallen this country. That is the reality and the disarray and the turmoil that has besieged the country will require the continued flow of the US and UNHRC officials poking their noses into the country. You can’t even imagine where is this leading to. Honest and capable leaders would have prevented this mess of others sitting in their chairs to decide how this country should be managed. Only fools will continue to believe that Mahinda Rajapakse and his erstwhile green-card holding brothers saved the country and yet they built their empires on the sweat of ordinary people, trampling them at their will. Truth be told, the Tamils have got their act together. Winning or losing is not the gauge. We will continue to be the thorn in the flesh. God knows when you Sinhalese chaps are going to get your act together. Yes we will continue to dream. You are damn right on that.

  • 1
    2

    The way VP was defeated has made a big impact on the international rules of engagement in conflict, the civillian safety. The trust on the Red cross and UN and its organizations . And the sincerity of the governments and there armed forces. The faith on the chemical biological and atomic warfare ??. It is great VP accepted the defeat. The world will be destroyed by the action of those who can not accept a defeat.
    All the media speaking about children and child rights are only opportunistic propaganda not on a real concern of children.

  • 2
    2

    What we must do without delay…
    Today the nations of the world are self-engaged, occupied with mortal and transitory accomplishments, consumed by the fires of passion and self.
    Sri Lanka is an Island of Two Nations as Tamil Eelam and Sinhala. After Genocide Tamils free from Occupancy(1915 and still)

  • 1
    14

    Yoga Joseph – Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah

    Very cheap way of inviting others to write comments in your favour.

    It is not appreciated!!

    Are you contesting in any election in Canada or TGTE is waiting to give you an award for receiving hundreds of comments.

    Never motivate others to write comments.

    • 21
      6

      Jude!
      Pray tell us why then is there a ‘comments section’ in most popular news portals? Thank goodness CT has one! Reader’s Comments are so important – the comments section helps provide a platform, a forum, for the views and opinions of readers – surely that’s a good thing and I welcome it, hence the request for comments! Yoga Joseph is doing a yeoman service actually.
      It has motivated you to write this comment – that in itself is good – although it would have been better had you used it for the proper purpose and commented on my article – favourable or not, – that’s what I would have liked.
      By the way, I never asked for favourable comments only
      Usha

      • 1
        8

        Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah

        Thank you very much for replying my comment.

        You say that, “Yoga Joseph is doing a yeoman service actually.”

        It proves that you knew this person!”

        Yoga Joseph is nobody else other than YOU.

        Earlier you motivated readers with your own name and
        now you are requesting them with another false name Yoga Joseph.

        You can create another one in future.

        Good luck – tricky writer

        • 4
          0

          slippery slitherer, who would be gullible to accept
          your logic having read hers initially.

          keep eating sour grapes…

        • 1
          0

          Jude:

          No one knows what your real name is, and I don’t think anyone gives a damn. So, why are you so agitated like a monkey that is forcing itself with ginger down its throat. Why not cut the crap and dwell on the issue being discussed? Or you are that empty vessel who has no other substance to write?

          • 0
            2

            Thank Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah

            If you don’t know my real name, why did you start replying it?

            Now we can understand that below given are also your false names

            TIMBUTTU and JANSEE

            We can understand that you are trying to compete with Dayan Jeyatilake to say that you got a lot of comments. But it looks you write your own comments. Dayan’s writings are provocative. You writings are like a lecture by a Priest in a chuch which had no substance.

            CT should check at least in future about the originateur of comments.

            Tracing the originator of any comment is not impossible in the modern world.

            Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah, Good Luck,

            You are DUBIOUS.

  • 9
    21

    Stupid article! Mr. Mahindapala should start educating stupid Usha.

    Tamil started Black July by killing unarmed Sinhalese.

    If Tamils want things in Tamil-way then they should go back to their true homeland Tamil Nadu, since Sri Lanka is Sinhala-Buddhist country, things should happen in Sinhalese-way.

    • 6
      4

      The true homeland of indigenous Sri Lankan Tamils is Eelam, however the true homeland of most of the present day so called Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Muslims or Moors is Tamil Nadu, as the vast majority of them are descended from low caste immigrant Indian Tamil immigrants who converted to either Buddhism Catholicism or Islam. Now calling themselves Aryans or Arabs

      • 2
        0

        Eelam is a distorted word for Sinhale. Sinhalese ethnic group was formed with the tribes (e.g: Yaksha, Naga, Deva,etc)that were once scatted all over the island, Sinhalese own the whole island.

        Earliest Tamil migrants either mixed with the sacred Sinhalese or went back to their real homeland or died of famine.

        The Tamils that we know now are brought by Dutch and British to work on their estates, because proud Sinhalese refused to work for the colonial invaders.

        Since you mentioned caste, as Tamil-Nadu-Tamils look down on SL Tamils, Tamil-Nadu-Tamils say that SL Tamils are their lower castes, they don’t like the way SL Tamils speak Tamil language and the way they do other Tamil-things.

    • 0
      1

      David : “….Tamil started Black July by killing unarmed Sinhalese.”

      You are living in a world of your own David. Very few humans in that world.

  • 13
    3

    A timely and excellently analysed piece which is exposing the hidden agenda of genocide of Tamils in all forms which commenced in 1958 and still continuing.
    CT: deserves full credit for its free for all policy to express their views fearlessly.

  • 3
    1

    Usha, are you still playing in the toy government? are you still the toy senator? what is toy prime minister Rudra up to these days? How is child soldier recruiter Adel Balasingham?

    Play in the toy government all you want but make sure by playing toy senator, you don’t ruin innocent people’s lives AGAIN!!!!!!!!

    You ungrateful idiots wanted more and more and in the end lost everything now those who stayed behind have to rebuild their lives again.

    You diaspora Ealamist idiotic people have become multi-millionaires by being nuisance to the great island nation since 1948.

    It is not in Sinhalese’s nature to react unless they are provoked.

    Dumb Ealamist, stay where you are, no need to come back, and let the GOOD Tamils integrate with Sinhalese and make the country prosperous again, just like the ancient Sinhalese kings did.

  • 1
    0

    An interesting and well written article in detail Most of the extremist Sinhala Buddhist may think they can get away with all the human rights violation against the Tamils. Countries have civilized but sadly not Sri Lanka.
    The institutionalized discrimination and injustice against Tamils in Sri Lanka. This injustice is embedded in Sri Lanka’s constitution to please the extremist Buddhist clergy. It is time for change or Sri Lanka will be isolated from entire world,

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