- Virakesari Editorial
(Throughout the month of July, the Catholic community in Sri Lanka in collaboration with various community organizations has held commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Black July in Colombo on yesterday evening. Pix by Navin Fonseka)
(July 24, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Although 25 years have rolled by since the July disturbances in Sri Lanka, its impact is still felt by the Tamil people. Since 1983, the birth of the month of July brings sad memories, fears and frustrations among the Tamils, who still suffer in one way or the other, may be in a lesser degree.
There was a communal disturbance in 1958, in which the Tamil people from the south were dispatched by ships to the north and east. 25 years later in 1983, again, there was violence unleashed on the Tamils and the Tamil people from the South had to be sent to the north east by sea.
Another 25 years have passed and there are restrictions placed on the Tamil people to travel to the South. Tamil people in the South are arrested on suspicion and detained at police stations. On top of all that, Tamils in Colombo lodges were taken into custody and taken to Vavuniya by buses.
Whatever it is, the view of a majority of the people of this country is that the social economic factors that led to the July disturbances should not be allowed to continue.
Tamil leaders have been complaining that the implementation of communalist policies has been the cause for the turmoil in the country. Tamil National Alliance has recently charged that there had been Sinhala colonization in the East in the immediate past.
(Throughout the month of July, the Catholic community in Sri Lanka in collaboration with various community organizations has held commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Black July in Colombo on yesterday evening. Pix by Navin Fonseka)
(July 24, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Although 25 years have rolled by since the July disturbances in Sri Lanka, its impact is still felt by the Tamil people. Since 1983, the birth of the month of July brings sad memories, fears and frustrations among the Tamils, who still suffer in one way or the other, may be in a lesser degree.
There was a communal disturbance in 1958, in which the Tamil people from the south were dispatched by ships to the north and east. 25 years later in 1983, again, there was violence unleashed on the Tamils and the Tamil people from the South had to be sent to the north east by sea.
Another 25 years have passed and there are restrictions placed on the Tamil people to travel to the South. Tamil people in the South are arrested on suspicion and detained at police stations. On top of all that, Tamils in Colombo lodges were taken into custody and taken to Vavuniya by buses.
Whatever it is, the view of a majority of the people of this country is that the social economic factors that led to the July disturbances should not be allowed to continue.
Tamil leaders have been complaining that the implementation of communalist policies has been the cause for the turmoil in the country. Tamil National Alliance has recently charged that there had been Sinhala colonization in the East in the immediate past.
The agreements signed between the leaders of the government and the leaders of the Tamil community have been abrogated at various times. Even the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987 has failed to find a solution to the ethnic problem.
While remembering the Black July 1983, Tamil people aspire that their legitimate demands should be met.
(An English translation of the Editorial in Virakesari, a Tamil daily, based in Colombo)
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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