Thirty-two years ago – from July 24 to July 30, 1983 – took place one of the biggest massacres in Sri Lanka’s history. The perception of the Tamil people was that Black July 1983 was a crime well-planned by organized groups linked to the then Government.
According to official Government statistics the number of those killed was 471 while the number injured was 3,769. The number of robberies was 3,835. However, unofficial reports say that the number killed was 2,000 and the number of Tamils displaced was around 150,000. Of the buildings destroyed were 8,000 houses and 5,000 commercial establishments. The value of property damaged or destroyed was estimated to be nearly 300 million U.S. dollars.
During the past half-a-century successive Governments reached various agreements with Tamil parties on what they called the Northern question, the North-East crisis, the ethnic issue, Tamil Eelam and Federalism. An armed campaign to secure a separate state commenced in the early 1970s causing the deaths of nearly 60,000 people both in the North and South due to the terrorist actions of Tamil separatist groups during the past three decades.
The UNP Government signed the Indo-Lanka Accord with India on July 29, 1987 hoping to end the conflict. As a result nearly 100,000 Indian troops arrived in Sri Lanka between July 1987 and March 1990 and launched military operations against LTTE terrorists in the North and East but they proved unsuccessful.
The Jaffna Public Library after it was set on fire and destroyed during the District Development Council Election of 1981
In the same period the JVP launched its second insurgency to protest against the Indian intervention among other issues. Consequently 41,813 people were killed in the South.
However, 19 years later President Mahinda Rajapaksa succeeded in militarily crushing the LTTE on May 19, 2009 thus ending a 30-year armed conflict.
Fifty eight years ago, in August, 1957, the Federal Party (which was formed under S.J.V. Chelvanayakam’s leadership in 1949) announced its decision to stage a hartal and satyagraha to protest against the Official Language Act. The first step towards solving Tamil separatism was the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam Pact signed on July 26, 1957. Earlier on June 26 secret talks were held between Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and Federal Party leaders at Horagolla. Thereafter discussions continued at the PM’s office on July 9 and at Rosmead Place and the Senate on July 14.
The decisive meeting took place on July 25, 1957. The Pact was signed the following day but it was never implemented due to vehement protests.
After Tamil separatists assassinated Jaffna’s SLFP Mayor and the party’s Chief Organiser Alfred Duraiappah on July 27, 1975 tensions increased in the North.
President Jayewardene and Minister Cyril Mathew (who was accused of directing the violence against Tamils)
On May 24, 1981 during the District Development Council Election the PLOTE (People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam) assassinated UNP Candidate A. Thangaraja. Six days later two policemen on duty at an election meeting were shot dead. Reacting in anger pro-government gangs set fire to the four storeyed-Jaffna Public Library building (constructed in 1935) which had many invaluable books and around 97,000 hand-written manuscripts. Before and on the day of the District Development Council election several UNP Cabinet Ministers, including Gamini Dissanayake and Cyril Mathew and MP Gamini Jayawickrema Perera were sent to Jaffna.
In July 1982 four policemen were killed at Nelliadi junction, Jaffna. In October of the same year terrorists attacked the Chavakachcheri Police Station killing three policemen before escaping with weapons seized from the station.
Also, 1982 was the year when the UNP held the infamous referendum to extend its term in Parliament and secured 54.7 percent of votes. In October of the same year a Presidential Election was held and President Jayewardene won by 52.91 votes. Large scale violence and vote rigging occured during both the referenduim and the election.
When Opposition Presidential Candidate Hector Kobbekaduwa went to cast his vote he found that it had already been ‘cast’ fraudulently.
On July 15, 1983 the Army opened fire at Chavakachcheri killing Tiger terrorists Charles Lucas Anthony alias Seelan (a close associate of LTTE chief Prabhakaran) and Ramanadan Arulnadan. The Tigers decided to avenge their deaths by planting landmines at Thirunelveli Road.
Police Superintendent Abdul Gafoor chasing away crowds at the General Cemetery, Borella on July 24, 1983.
On the night of July 23, 1983, a squad of 15 soldiers (Four Four Bravo Patrol) led by 2nd Lieutenant A.P.N.C. De Vas Gunawardena attached to ‘C’ Company of the Sri Lanka Light Infantry’s First Battalion, Madagal, were engaged in a road inspection. They travelled in jeep No. Army 4889 and Truck No. 26 Sri 3193. They had been also been ordered to arrest Sellakkili another close confidante of Prabhakaran and report to the Army Camp at Madagal.
About five minutes past 11.28 p.m. when the troops were passing the Urupirai junction their jeep was caught in a deafening explosion followed by relentless gunfire. The jeep was driven by Corporal G.R. Perera. Only Corporal Upali Perera and Lance Corporal Sumathipala were able to escape from the 22-member Tiger terrorist group which sprang the ambush. Thirteen soldiers died in the attack.
Army Commander at the time was Lietenant General Tissa ‘Bull’ Weeratunge. Arrangements were made to bury ther bodies at the General Cemetery, Borella where 14 graves had been for the purpose (Cpl. Upali Perera was mistakenly thought to be dead but survived with serious injuries). The dead were 2nd Lt. Vas Gunawardena, Sergeant I.S. Tillekeratne, Cpl. G.R. Perera (driver), Lance Cpl. G.D. Perera and Privates A.D. Mathapitiya, M.B. Sunil, A.J. Wijesinghe, K.P. Karunaratne, P.G. Rajatilleke, S.S. Amarasinghe, G. Robert, A.S. Manatunga (driver) and J.R. Fernando.
Although it was announced that the bodies of the dead army personnel were to be brought to Borella on July 24, 1983 at 5.00 p.m. they were not brought until 7.00 p.m. The crowd at the cemetery became restless. They reacted violently after Police Superintendent Gafoor ordered a baton charge on several of the mourners. This writer was an eye witness to the incident.
Angry crowds began attacking Tamil shops and houses in Borella and surrounding areas. These were happening at several places all over Colombo on the same night. Although earlier it was decided to take the bodies of the dead soldiers to their home towns, the decision was changed at the last minute and they were instead brought to Colombo.
It was only on July 26, 1983 – 24 hours after the rioting occurred – that President Jayawardene declared curfew in Colombo. By that time organized attacks on Tamil people were continuing in Colombo and nearby districts. There were strong allegations that Cyril Mathew, a powerful Cabinet Minister, was directing the violence. His supporters and others linked to the Government, armed with voters’ lists, were looking for Tamil houses to attack.
Destroyed shops opposite the Fort Railway Station
A trade unionist of the UNP-affiliated Jaathika Sevaka Sangamaya led the attacks in Wellawatte. The violence in Mount Lavinia was directed by a UNP Municipal Councilor. An underworld gangster organized the attacks in Pettah where 442 shops were destroyed and several were killed.
It was only on the night of July 28, 1983 – five days after the rioting – that President Jayewardene addressed the nation. Five days before, on July 18, 1983 the President in an interview with Daily Telegraph, London, said that he was not concerned with the views of the Jaffna people and that he could not think about them or their opinion of the Government.
After the rioting spread to Welikada Prison 35 Tamil Prisoners were killed at first followed by 18 others later. A total of 53 Tamil prisoners were killed between July 25 and 27. Among the victims were the founder of TELO (Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation) Kuttimani and Jegan, another pioneer of the armed Tamil militancy. Kuttimani had been earlier sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court on August 13, 1982 after being convicted of killing a police constable in 1979.
Opposition Leader A. Amirthalingam and other Tamil MPs leave Parliament, after having lost their seats.
The curfew was relaxed in Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara after a few days but patrolling by security forces continued. However a shooting incident involving three armed Tamil terrorists who had climbed the upper storey of a building near the Bo-Tree junction Pettah on July 27, 1983 caused tensions to rise again in Colombo and suburbs.
The rioting spread like wildfire throughout the country from July 24 to July 30 resulting in organized Tamil groups chasing away Sinhala families in the North to the South. Hundreds of them were brutally killed in the North and East and their house and shops destroyed. The remaining property was forcibly seized.
What the UNP Government did in response to international criticism about the Tamil pogrom was to proscribe by Gazette notification on July 31, 1980 three Left parties, which had nothing to do with the rioting. President Jayewardene’s explanation was that the ban was imposed following reports that the Black July incidents were a conspiracy by leftwing extremists against the Government.
Looters in Colombo
Accordingly, the JVP, the Communist Party and NSSP were proscribed. The CP and NSSP leaders who went into hiding for a short time surrendered to the government. Thereafter the ban on their parties was lifted.
The JVP however did not surrender although there were national and international appeals to lift the proscription. Later the JVP engaged in clandestine political activity and in 1986 launched a second insurgency which ended with the deaths of 41,813 people including JVP Leader Rohana Wijeweera who was killed on November 13, 1989.
Eventually, the UNP Government introduced the 6th Amendment to the Constitution, claiming it was mean to ensure the country’s territorial integrity. After an intense debate it was finally passed on August 8, 1983.
According to the 6th Amendment every MP should pledge not to support the establishment of a separate state. Since the TULF represented separatism all Northern Parliamentarians and two from the East did not sign the pledge. Consequently 16 MPs including TULF Leader Appapillai Amirthalingam and R. Sambandan lost their seats on October 23, 1983.
Anura Bandaranaike of the SLFP became Opposition Leader on November 8 the same year with the support of nine SLFP MPs and MEP Pariamentarian Dinesh Gunawardena and Communist Party MP Sarath Muttetuwegama.
Incident at the Borella Bus Stand during Black July.
As a result of Black July 1983 Tamil separatist organizations in the North established their base of operations in Tamil Nadu. Thereafter within a decade the Indian Government under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s Leadership allowed the establishment of 110 terrorist training camps in India. The Indian Government openly gave them material and monetary assistance.
After the rioting nearly 100,000 Tamils sought political asylum in the West. Thousands more fled by boat to India where they found shelter in refugee camps. Since then Tamils groups who left Sri Lanka have organized themselves as the Tamil Diaspora and continue to assist Tamil separatists directly and indirectly.
By Dharman Wickremaratne
(The writer is a senior journalist who could be reached at ejournalists@gmail.com)
