"Our organisation, as well as our people do not want war. We want peace and we want to resolve our problems through peaceful means. We are deeply committed to the peace process. It is because of our sincere commitment to peace that we are firmly and rigidly observing ceasefire. It is our organisation that took the initiative of declaring the cessation of hostilities unilaterally and observing peace for the last two years tolerating the provocative actions of the state's armed forces. . "
- Hon. Velupillai Pirapaharan, the national leader of Tamil Eelam, in his Heroes' Day Message, 2003.
Sri Lankan State Oppression
1958 - Pogrom
1961 - Satyagraha
1972 - 1976 - Detention and Torture.
1974 - International Tamil Conference
1977 - Poqrom.
1979 - Torture Camp
1981 - Burning of PUBLIC LIBRARY
1981 - Local Election
1983 - Pogroms and Torture camps Massacre
1983 - JULY EXPLOSION.
Jaffna.
PREVENTION OF TERRORISM ACT (PTA).
Destruction of Places of Worship
Buddhism used for Oppression
Destruction of national identity
Sri Lankas Constitution
In 1958 the Tamils faced a major violence. Over 100,000 Tamils fled for safety to their Traditional Homelands. The violence was mainly by the Sinhala people against the Tamils living in their midst. The violence was facilitated by the inflammatory speech of Mr. Bandaranayake and the failure on the part of Mr. Bandaranayake to take steps to arrest the violence. Though the Police did not actively take part in the violence, mostly they failed to take steps to stop the violence. Only after the emergency was declared and the armed forces called in the violence was brought to a halt.
The scar of violence and humiliation could not be erased. The nature of violence was so brutal the continued Stay in the South for Tamils seemed impossible. There was arson murder rape and any brutality you could name. They even burnt a Hindu priest alive. All because Tamils protested against injustice. Since the means of livelihood depended on the affluent South Tamils returned though slowly.
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In 1961 Police and Army personnel unleashed violence on Satyagrahis protesting on the imposition of Sinhala language as the official language in the Tamil areas. Almost 100% of the Tamils cannot understand the Sinhala language in the North or East. The violence by the Police and Army would appear to be on the orders of the Government.
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1972 - 1976 - Detention and Torture
From 1972 youths were arrested detained and tortured by the Police. Youths were protesting at the imposition of higher standards for the entry into the University for Tamils. Over 40 youths were held without trial sometimes over a period of 4 years. These detentions were reported by the Amnesty International in their Mission Report in 1975.
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1974 - International Tamil Conference
Even large cultural celebrations were not free from the interference by the Government/Police action. In January 1974 Police disturbed the final sessions of the 4th international Conference on Tamil Research,8 persons died. The brutality with which the conference was disturbed by the police is one of the sears of violence against the Tamil people which is not forgotten. Government even declined to appoint a commission to inquire into the incident.
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In August 1977 the Tamils faced the largest violence so far. This would appear to have been unleashed because of the overwhelming support by the Tamil people for the formation of a separate state. The hands of many Government supporters were seen in many instances of violence. The explosion of violence took place on the 19th. August soon after the speech of Mr. Jayawardane, then Prime Minister, in the Parliament on 18th August 1977 offering 'war' to the Tamil people, was repeated every half-an-hour on the Government controlled radio. This was similar to what Mr. Bandaranayake did in 1958.
In 1977 even the Plantation workers were not spared. Their line rooms were burnt, their little possessions were looted, their women were 'gang raped'. Evidence of some most brutal 'gang rapes' have been recorded before the Commission that inquired into the events of 1977. Again hundreds were killed and over 200,000 fled for safty to Traditional Homelands of Tamils. Over 40,000 of the Plantation workers became destitute and refugees. Nearly 100 Hindu Temples were destroyed. Tamils have lost several hundreds of millions rupees worth of property.
The most significant fact in 1977 pogrom was the participation of security forces. In the South, Sinhalese people carried out the attack which the security forces encouraged or failed to stop. In the North and East the security forces were the attackers. The radio net work of the Police was used to incite violence all over the Island. Thus Tamils were no longer safe even in their own Traditional Homelands.
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1979 - Torture Camp No solution to the problem by peaceful means gave rise to several youth groups embarking on alternative solutions. Violence as a means of solution was not over ruled by them. Youth violence in the cause of freedom was seen since then. Such violence brought forth more violence by the Police/Army. Police force has been the main target for the Tamil Youths. On 11th July 1979 Mr. Jayawardane gave a 'Hitler like' order to his commander to eradicate terrorism within six months. Police made a start by killing 3 youths and placing 3 others on 'disappeared' list. Police/Army set up a torture camp in the same residence as the commander (who is now Commander of the Army). Hundreds of youths were rounded up and many were tortured. The Commander would appear to have reported successful completion of task.
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1981 - Burning of PUBLIC LIBRARY
On 31st May 1981 after an incident in which some unidentified persons opened fire at Police personnel at an election meeting, the Police went on the rampage and burnt a part of Jaffna town, the house of the member of parliament and the office of the TUFF. The Police desecrated a Hindu Temple and fire to it. Police assaulted any man on the road. The fury seemed to have cooled. On the 1st June, Inspector General of Police, Secretary to the Cabinet and Secretary to the Ministry of Internal Security are presumably sent by the president to study and help to bring the situation under control and report. However, on the night 1st June, Police personnel have set fire to the PUBLICLIBRARY. They have carefully selected the section which stored boots thus destroying the best library in the Tamil areas and irreplaceable documents relating to Tamil Culture and History were destroyed. The public library which is just opposite the Jaffna Police Station has not attracted the Police when they went on rampages before. They normally reached for the liquor shop in the bazaar to encourage them in their missions.
Who ordered or prompted the destruction of the PUBLiC LIBRARY?
Only the Police can answer? May be few others who were in Jaffna too can answer. We can only hazard a guess. If there is one event which has the greatest impression or scar in the hearts of the Tamils it is this destruction of the PUBLIC LIBRARY. While someone attempted a "Cultural Genocide" or the obliteration of the History of the Tamil people, they have made their resolve to be free irreversible. The thinking men on the night of 1st June did not fail to destroy the only Tamil Daily printed in the Tamil areas, not in fury but in cold blood. No inquiry what so ever was held to find out the culprits of the events of 31st May to 4th June 1981. But Mr. Gamini Dissanayake, Minister of Mahawelel Development, conceded in the Parliament that Police burnt the PUBLIC LIBRARY.
On the 2nd of June 1981, Government Ministers Cyril Mathew and Gamini Dissanayake were in Jaffna to assist in the elections. On the 3rd.night 4th.morning 4 persons were shot and killed by Army/Police. There would appear to be orders to arrest the leader of the Tamil People. Mr. Amirthalingam Secretary of TULF and three other Members of Parliament were arrested and taken to an Army Camp. There would appear to have been a big plan to rig the Election, which proved fruitless. A no confidence motion brought against these two ministers has not yet been debated.
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1983 - Pogroms and Torture camps
In 1983 the scale of violence seems to escalate beyond anyone's expectation. However, there emerges a planned violence against the Plantation Tamil Refugees and the-Tamils in Trincomalee. Soon after a confrontation between some unknown youths and the Army; as was expected, the Army went on a rampage and burnt over 60 houses in a village. Looted some of the houses, burnt a part of Jaffna bazaar (for the third time) and assaulted people on the road and even fired into the Jaffna Hospital. In June 1983 Army/Police burnt the Vavuniya Town (It was burnt by the Police in 1977) Army/Police destroyed the office of the Gandhiyam society and burnt the orphanage managed by Gandhiyam and three tractors and two lorries belonging to Gandhiyam. Gandhiyam Society is the main organisation helping the Plantation Tamil Refugees of August 1977 and August 1981 pogroms. The government failed to help the refugees to start a new life after the pogroms. It is only voluntary organisations which helped them. The Government wanted to destroy organisations helping the refugees. The East too were attacked by the Sinhalese people or Army/ Police.
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1983 - Trincomalee Massacre
Trincomalee was singled out for attack in June/July 1983. The pattern is for the Army/Police to go to Tamil village and search for knives or implements and take them away and the Sinhalese people with arms attack the Tamil villagers. Upto the 3rd July,
(a) 214 Houses were burnt.
(b) 24 Shops were burnt.
(c) 19 were killed.
(d) 8 Hindu Temples were burnt. (e) 1 Christian Ashram was burnt.
Any one who went to the help of the Tamil victims too were attacked as in the case of Thirunavukarasu (a Tamil) who helped victims of an arson on van with people to get medical assistance was killed, His wife and four year old daughter too met with the same fate.
Where Tamils resisted the Security forces came in and arrested them or burnt their houses. Sometimes when the forces arrest Tamils they handed them over to the Sinhalese people; Some Tamils met with death as in the case of Sabaratnam who was chopped to death.
A high ranking Naval officer 'Sivanathan (a Tamil) dared to arrest Sinhalese hooligans and hand them over to the Police. On his return to his quaters he was assaulted by his co-officers and was hospitalised. Sivanathan is one of two percent Tamils in the Armed forces.
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Jaffna
13 Army personnels were killed in a bomb incident which is believed to be in retaliation to kidnapping of three Tamil girls by the Army.The Army went on the rampage on 23rd/ 24 th July and shot people at randam and killed several people including 6 children and an old man of 83. The Army went on the rampage again on 26th/27th and killed many more people including a University lecturer, Women and students.The estimated killings in Jaffna now is 100.
Trincomalee
Trincomalee was again selected for attack. On 26th/27th the Navy went on the rampage and burnt over 200 houses and killed several people. The estimated deaths ranges from 300 to 400.
Colombo
Colombo was chosen for a well planned attack. The attackers were led by a person with a list of Tamil establishments and Tamil houses and they were destroyed by violence or arson systamatically from 24th July onwards. The armed forces and Police not only failed to stop the violence but were seen encouraging and cheering the Sinhalese people engaged in the attack.
Again the characteristic brutality was evident. Several persons were burnt alive or hacked to death only because he or she was a Tamil. The death in Colombo and suburbs is estimated at 800 to 1000. Almost all Tamil establishments were destroyed and most of the houses owned by the Tamils were attacked, looted, or burnt.
The attack is not over, or mopping up teams are seen to function where ever there has been some omission. Any Tamil who dared to go out was in danger.
Up-country
The Plantation areas too were subjected to attack. Kandy Badulla ,Nawalapitiya, NuwaraEliya, Matale, Gampola and Monaragala were some of the towns subjected to heavy attack. Most of the Tamil establishments and houses near towns were destroyed.
Even a Catholic Institution functioning in Badulla was destroyed. The death toll is estimated at 30.
Massacre in prison
There were over 70 political prisoners in Welikada in Colombo. On the 25th July 37 of them were massacred by government Agencies including the Army. The deaths included Kuttimani who was nominated as Member of Parliament by the Tamil United Liberation Front.
On 27th July a second Massacre was carried out in which 19 people were killed including Dr.S.Rajasundaram, the Secretary of Gandhiyam Society, an Organisation which was working among the refugees of 1977 and 1981 pogroms.
It is quite apparant that the youth leaders were selected for this massacre and the massacre is not by fellow Sinhalese prisoners as claimed by the Government.
Who did this ?
We have reports that several active members of the ruling party were the organisers. In some areas it is alleged that even Members of Parliament have been the organisers. It is believed that a Cabinet Minister, a close friend of the President, has masterminded these atrocities.
Refugees.
Over 55,000 people are in Camps in Colombo alone and they are
moving to North or East which they believe is more secure than Colombo; at least they are returning to their homelands though it is occupied by the Army. Nearly 50,000 people are displaced in the up-country and most of them are in several refugee camps, most of them would have no place to go to.
It is expected that over 100,000 person will move from the South to the Traditional Homelands. The total number of people displaced is estimated at 250,000.
After pogroms in 1958,1977 and 1981 most of the Tamils who were displaced returned for want of opportunities of earning a living in the North or East which continue to be neglected areas under successive Sinhalese Governments. The attack in July 1983 would make it difficult even though the option could be starvation.
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PREVENTION OF TERRORISM ACT (PTA).
In June 1979 the Government introduced a South African style Prevention of Terrorism Act. Under Which Act a person could be detained without trial for a period of 3 months at a time totaling to 18 months. Offences not known to ordinary laws of the country were also introduced. For example if a person knows the whereabouts of terrorist (terrorist not defined in the Act.) and if such person fails to inform the Police he commits an offence punishable with a minimum of 5 years jail term. If the "terrorist" stays with any person for a night such person is guilty of harbouring, punishable with a maximum of twenty years jail term.
Mr. David an Architect, President, and Dr. Rajasundaram, Secretary, of Gandhiyam too are detained under the PTA and tortured in Army Camps for confessions. Charges have been framed against them. Dr.Rajasundaram was murdered in prison by government agencies on 27th July 1983. For the operation under this Act normally army camps were used for detention and they were notorious for their "torture cells". In one Army camp they had even built in rings and other implements for torture. There are nearly 70 Tamil Youths under detention most of them without any charge against them and all of them faced torture-, The subject of PTA and its operation has been critisized by International Commission of Jurist in a Report, by Prof. Virginia A. Leary, Professor of Law, University of New York at Buffalo (Published in 1981). The Human Rights Violations including torture and disappearance are also the subject of report by Amnesty International (Published on 6th July 1983).
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Destruction of Places of Worship
In 1958, some Hindu Temples were destroyed. In 1977 over Hundred Hindu Temples have been destroyed. 1981 at least one Temple was set on fire. In 1983, at least 10 Hindu temples have been 8 of which in Trincomalee during June 1983. Famous and ancient Mariamman Temple at Matale was also destroyed.
In Trincomalee, Sinhalese people have also burnt a Christian Ashram.
In 1976, 9 Tamil speaking muslims were shot by the Police in e mosque. So long as the people are Tamils they face the danger irrespective of their religion.
Apart from destroying or attacking religious institutions and places of worship, there were attempts to start new Buddhist symbols or places of worship without any regard or respect to other religions. In 1957 the grateful public of Colombo who were associated with St. Joseph College, Colombo wished to errect e statue for Fr. Legog, who had rendered Yomen service to the College and the Public. The day before the statue was to be installed 'some one' placed a statue of Buddha et that place. Thus they prevented a statue being erected for Fr. Legog. The Government will do nothing to rectify the situation. The Buddha statue remains there. In 1981, in Vavuniya, when Tamils intended to place a statue in memory of great Tamil Leader again a Buddha statue was placed thus frustrating the object of the Tamils. Now the Government is building a Buddhist Shrine. And there are other and similar examples of, religious oppression or humiliation.
Buddhism is the privileged religion receiving protection end promotion en terms of the Constitution. The Buddhist religion is being used as an instrument of Tamils and other religious minorities.
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DESTRUCTION OF NATIONAL IDENTITY
It is now apparent that the Government and the Sinhala people behind the Government are working towards elimination of National Identity of the Tamil people, firstly by destroying any claim to any separate area, secondly by destroying culturally and finally by Physical liquidation.
The Massacre in June and July should act as a warningto the world at large. 'So far, several countries who are aware of the oppression and violence against the Tamils while sympathising with the plight of the Tamils were of the opinion it is only an "internal matter". Some Governments even help in the development of Sri Lanka. In particular they are helping to develope the Mahaweli basin, the completion of which scheme will inevitably lead to the destruction of the TAMIL NATION.
Sri Lanka Government is building Army camps in the entire North and East for the purpose of oppression of the Tamil people. It was reported that a new large camp was started in the North. Only a few months back an Army camp was started in Batticaloa District in the Eastern Province. While countries in the world are giving aid for "development" Sri Lanka Government is spending money for the oppression of the Tamil People, and the destruction of their National Identity.
Will it be unreasonable to expect the countries who help Sri Lanka to refrain from aiding directly or indirectly the destruction of the National Identity of the Tamil People?
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Sri Lanka has a beautiful Constitution. The Constitution has all the desirable provisions relating to Human Rights. But it is not observed as far as Tamils are concerned. One example is worthy of note. Gunapalasingam (a Tamil) was arrested by mistake on 16th April 1981 by the Army and tortured and he became a mentally sick man after his release. He was having treatment in hospital for nearly 4 months, When he left Hospital for the last time he instituted an action for the violation of fundamental Rights under the Constitution, His application was dismissed since it was failed after one month of the torture. It did not really matter; he committed suicide even before he heard the result of his application.
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