| Sri Lankan Conflict 1976 - 2009 |
| Background |
|---|
| Sri Lanka · History of Sri Lanka |
| Origins of the Civil War |
| Origins of the Civil War · Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism · Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism · Riots · Black July |
| Main phases |
| Eelam War I · Indian intervention · Eelam War II · Eelam War III · Eelam War IV |
| LTTE |
| LTTE · Black Tigers · Attacks · Expulsion of Muslims |
| Military of Sri Lanka |
| Military of Sri Lanka · Attacks |
| Major leaders |
| M. Rajapaksa · V. Prabhakaran · Karuna · S. Chandrakanthan · G. Rajapaksa · Sarath Fonseka |
| Indian involvement |
| Operation Poomalai · Indo-Sri Lanka Accord · Indian Peace Keeping Force · Operation Pawan · Rajiv Gandhi · RAW |
| See also |
| Battles · Casualties · Human rights · Child soldiers · Allegations of state terror · Notable assassinations · Disappearances · Tamil militant groups (List) · TMVP · 2009 Tamil diaspora protests |
Following is a List of riots in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is an island nation situated in South Asia. It has experienced ethnic tensions between its majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils and Moors populations since 1915.[1]
Contents |
1915 riots
The first reported organized riots in Sri Lanka were against the minority Sri Lankan Moors in 1915.[2][3][4][5][6]
1953 hartal
Hartal 1953 was a country-wide demonstration, hartal which eventually led to civil unrest.
1956 Gal Oya riots
The first reported ethnic riots that targeted minority Sri Lankan Tamils in Gal Oya a new settlement in the Eastern Province. The total number of deaths is reportedly 150.[7]
1958 riots
1958 ethnic riots popularly known also as the 58 riots was a watershed event in the race relationship of the various ethnic communities of Sri Lanka. The total number of deaths is estimated to be 300, mostly Sri Lankan Tamils.[7]
1977 riots
The anti-Tamil riots, targeting the minority Sri Lankan Tamil people started on the August 12, 1977, less than a month after the United National Party came to power in 1977. Over 300 Tamils were killed during these riots.[8]
1981 Burning of Jaffna Library
This riot involved the destruction of the Jaffna Public Library, with the loss of over 100,000 books, artifacts and palm writings. Many irreplaceable historical documents and artifacts of civilization in Sri Lanka were lost forever. Some police and army members were accused of collusion in the riots. Four Sri Lankan Tamils were killed.[9]
1983 riots
The ethnic riots is better known as Black July Pogrom. Between 400-3,000 Sri Lankan Tamil civilians killed and many more made homeless and as refugees and number of places of business destroyed.[10]
2000 Bandarawela riots
In October 2000, 27 Tamil youths were massacred and 14 others were seriously injured in the attack at Bandarawela detention centre housing. This massacre was carried out by the local Sinhala community with the help of the local Police. Local residents assaulted the inmates with clubs and knives after reports they had taken a security guard hostage. Some victims were said to have been burned alive. According to Asian Centre for Human Rights no one has been prosecuted for these crimes against humanity.[11][12]
2001 Mawanella riots
Also known as Mawanella riots, shops and property belonging to the Muslim minority were destroyed and a number of Muslims were killed.[13][14][15]
2006
Trincomalee
In mid 2006, a bomb blast killed 16 people, prompting a Sinhalese mob to torch Tamil-owned shops and to hunt down Tamil civilians. According to the main hospital, the blast killed 16 people, eight Tamils, five Sinhalese, two Muslims and a person who could not be identified. The reprisal attacks claimed another five: four Tamils and one Sinhalese, who were burned, stabbed and shot to death. Whether the riots were spontaneous or planned is impossible to know, although the police and the army, deployed in full force around the market, did not manage to stop them. Rohan Abeywardana, the deputy inspector general of police in charge of Trincomalee, said his forces were overpowered. Those arrested were released the next morning.[16][17]
Galle
On 17 October 2006 a number of Tamil owned shops were damaged and destroyed in mob violence against Tamil merchants in the port city of Galle following an attack on a Naval base by the LTTE rebel group. No reported casualties.[18][19]
See also
References
- ^ Chattopadhyaya, H. Ethnic Unrest in Modern Sri Lanka: An Account of Tamil-Sinhalese Race Relations, pp. 51-82
- ^ Kearney, R.N.: The 1915 riots in Ceylon – a symposium; Introduction. Journal of Asian Studies, Feb.1970, vol.29, no.2, pp.219-222.
- ^ Jayewardena, K.: Economic and Political Factors in the 1915 riots. Journal of Asian Studies, Feb.1970, vol.29, no.2, pp.223-233.
- ^ Blackton, C.S.: The action phase of the 1915 riots. Journal of Asian Studies, Feb.1970, vol.29, no.2, pp.235-254.
- ^ Rutnam, J.T.: The Rev.A.G.Fraser and the riots of 1915. Ceylon Journal of Historical and Social Studies, July-December 1971, vol.1, no.2 (new series), pp.151-196.
- ^ Vythilingam, M.: The Life of Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan, vol.2 (1910-1930), 1977, chapters 10 (Riots-1915, pp.229-250), 11 (Riots-Speeches, pp.251-320) and 12 (Ramanathan’s Mission to England – His Return, pp.321-330).
- ^ a b "An evolving army and its role through time". Sunday Times. 2005-10-16. http://sundaytimes.lk/051016/plus/4.html. Retrieved 2008-10-29. "The outbreak of island wide ethnic violence from May 24-27, 1958, saw for the first time the deployment of military personnel under emergency proclamations throughout the entire island, where Colombo and the North and East of the country witnessed the worst violence leading to over 300 deaths."
- ^ Kearney, R.N. (1985). "Ethnic Conflict and the Tamil Separatist Movement in Sri Lanka". Asian Survey 25 (9): 898–917. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0004-4687(198509)25%3A9%3C898%3AECATTS%3E2.0.CO%3B2-B. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
- ^ Over two decades after the burning down of the Jaffna library in Sri Lanka
- ^ Harrison, Frances (23 July 2003). "Twenty years on - riots that led to war". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3090111.stm. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
- ^ BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Sri Lanka accused on riot report
- ^ Transitional Justice Forum: Transitional Justice in the News, Oct.31
- ^ http://www.slageconr.net/slsnet/9thicsls/individual/abs044.pdf
- ^ The Hindu : For a place in the sun
- ^ BBC News | SOUTH ASIA | Curfew lifted in Colombo
- ^ Sri Lankan city's descent into chaos - International Herald Tribune
- ^ Centre for Policy Alternatives
- ^ Sri Lanka navy base attacked, sparks anti-Tamil riot » Propeller
- ^ News: Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka navy base attacked, sparks anti-Tamil riot
Further reading
- Vittachi, Tarzie (1958). Emergency '58: The Story of the Ceylon Race Riots. Andre Deutsch. OCLC 2054641.
- Seneratne, Jagath P (1998.). Political Violence in Sri Lanka, 1977-1990: Riots, Insurrections, Counter-Insurgencies, Foreign Intervention. VU University Press. ISBN 90-5383-524-5.
External links
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