This weekend marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of war in Sri Lanka, which is commonly dated to the anti-Tamil riots there in 1983—a time now known as Black July. The immediate catalyst for the violence: the death of 13 Sinhalese soldiers at the hands of Tamil militants. The longer story: ethnic tension that had simmered for decades, under British colonial rule and beyond.
On the 24th of July, rioting began as news spread about the deaths of the soldiers. The government was obviously complicit in the pogroms. (This link is to a Sri Lankan government website.) People with voter lists directed the mobs to the homes and properties of Tamils, which they destroyed. Thugs stopped vehicles on the streets, and, ascertaining the Tamil identities of the people within, set them aflame. When the violence finally ended, days later, as many as three thousand Tamils had been killed. Thousands and thousands more were left homeless. Shortly after, Sri Lanka saw a flood of Tamil emigration.
The 25th anniversary of such a hellish hour in the country’s history should not pass unnoticed on the Mutiny. Sri Lanka is Mutinous; it’s Mutinous in all the wrong ways: fostering ethnic hatred, distrust, violence, censorship, betrayal, and rootlessness in its own people. And it’s Mutinous in all the right ones: Sri Lanka and its diasporas are full of people who resist easy definition and boundaries, who refuse to cede to what they believe to be wrong, and who still fight, after twenty-five years, for a just home in the most beautiful place on earth. This is not a country that can be seen in black and white. This is a country in which authorities helped Sinhalese civilians to attack their Tamil neighbors. And this also is a country in which the people who saw that what was happening was wrong took their Tamil countrymen in and tried to protect them from the chaos. The best of human nature beginning a long battle against the worst of human nature.
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p>Of course, much has happened in the 25 years since. In the wake of the riots, the Tamil Tigers and comparable groups found more willing and able recruits among young people who were no longer sure what their future was in Sri Lanka. The Tigers launched more military-style actions against the government—but they also engaged in attacks on civilians, elected politicians, and dissidents. Now other minority populations and factions (including Muslims and tea estate Tamils) struggle for purchase on the shifting ground of war. Tamil journalists and civilians disappear in government-controlled areas as bombs go off in urban centers and near politicians. Civilians on the ground pay the price of this conflict, and to what extent, I cannot say—as their voices (Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher…) go largely unheard, and the voices at either end of this argument often drown out those in the middle.
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p>I am not a spokesperson, and I am not a historian. Even if I were, capturing those 25 years in a blog post would be a thankless task. But I am an artist, and as an artist I am against war. So I wanted to tell the Mutiny that I will take a moment of silence this weekend for those who suffered in 1983, and those who have suffered since. This is a moment of silence that I choose, and that no one can impose upon me.
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p>I will leave you with links to other reading.
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p>One, a poem by Indran Amirthanayagam that I like particularly because of its ending on a note of goodness and hope. (More Groundviews coverage of the anniversary here.)
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p>The other, a piece I wrote in a recent Washington Post, about finding myself in the tough position of trying to articulate Sri Lankan issues and history.
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p>Finally, a couple of pieces of miscellany: The BBC on the 25th anniversary and a report about the Sri Lankan government asking other countries to make sure Tiger “front groups” don’t hold Black July commemorations. Also: UTHR(J) (University Teachers for Human Rights—Jaffna) from their book The Broken Palymra on Black July.
UPDATE: Pass the Roti on “Six Days in July.”
pro mixalot, What makes you think I meant genocidal maniacs=tamil people? Also where did you get this idea?
Do you read sinhala newspapers or listen to Sinhala TV or Radio?It would be great if you could give an example.
96 · chandare said
meant what I wrote. “candid” and “on the ground” means TV (without the fear of Mahinda machan’s henchmen questioning them after the fact). But since you live with the ugly people who had to abandon their home country due to their good salt-of-the-earth neighbors who thought it a great idea to get drunk, caress them with machetes and invite themselves in for a spot of gasoline and matches, i guess your ability to read and comprehend has tragically gone for a six.
Nayagan wrote
On the other hand Including “machan ” in a sentence and saying “gone for a six” makes you an expert on Sinhalese or Sri Lankans !
Nayagan, You want to know how the oridinary hambantota guy .Read the study. You will find that on most of the issues Sinhala ,Muslim and Tamil people are not that far off.This was done in 2007 but I think they have something more recent.This study comes from a NGO which is seen as pro-LTTE by Sinhala hardliners.
Crane: I am not saying that the diaspora should get over it, or forget it, or any of that. A particularly appalling fact is that no one, not a single person, has been brought to justice because of that. I just think that the diaspora (diasporic organizations), on too many occasions, exploits these incidents in order to fuel the current conflict instead of productively working on humanitarian interventions, human rights abuses etc. And if you read any of this, or anything I have said so far, as a defense of the current government, then as V.V. says, things need to be carefully read too.
Nayagan: I work in Sri Lanka, including in the Northeast. Do/Have you? Not everyone here has abandoned ship.
chandare: What NGO, except for Sarvodaya, is not seen as pro-LTTE by Sinhala hardliners? Even UNICEF has been charged of that same crime. CPA is an independent think tank that has on occasion produced good work.
V.V.: Your post is appreciated.
AVIAF,
When you refer to “abandoning ship,” are you talking about people who emigrated? (If not, what do you mean?) If so, that seems awfully harsh, considering what some of those people went through. I’m not saying those who have stayed haven’t been through anything—they obviously have—but I don’t know that those who left can be so easily and generally dismissed. And unless I much misunderstand you, it’s not the leaving you’re objecting to here—it’s what happens after, how the diaspora addresses the war. I think you raise some good points there about responsibility. Anyway, your comments are greatly appreciated.
Sincere thanks also to Nayagan, Preston, kettikili, pro mixalot, sahasamvada, ak, pedagogy and demagogy… and the others I must be missing at this thread grows ever longer (!).
Chandare, I will read the study to which you refer, but I must agree with AVIAF re: NGOs and Nayagan re: the call for a candid TV interview.
‘Abandon ship’ might be a bit pejorative, but many of us have moved on, with a part of us still maintaining some attachment, but that’s all. I don’t think too many members of the diaspora (myself included) would move back, even if things were peaceful again. Too much time, too much change. Respect for staying/returning and trying to make things better, anyway.
If nothing else, I think time will solve this. I don’t think it’s the younger generation perpetuating this conflict. When the old die, they can take their conflict with them.
Australia – Gallipoli. Commemoration of our greatest defeat. ANZAC day etc. Must be the only country around that celebrates a loss rather than a victory
105 · AVIAF said
are you asking the polite question are are you asking whether i “jumped ship” ?(hard as it would be to make a conscious decision about my location, given the fact I was surrounded by womb).
1 · No guesses said
Do you have any evidence that the VHP has committed terrorist attacks or are you buying into Congress propaganda? The LTTE folks, on occasion, congregate at the Hindu temple in Staten Island (surprisingly there’s a sizable Tamil Christian population contributing to their nonsense).
Why is that surprising? The LTTE isn’t a hindu org, it’s always had plenty of christian/catholic members. This isn’t a religious conflict!
110 · NYC Chatwala said
Babu Bajrangi