Dollar spinner for LTTE

Revisiting the ‘Black July’ on its 25th Anniversary:

By Ranga CHANDRARATHNE

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One of the bleakest hours in the contemporary political history of Sri Lanka, the Black July of 1983 marks its 25th anniversary against the backdrop of scores of military successes in the North and the East.

In retrospect, the Black July of 1983 goes down as the turning point in the Tamil militancy virtually transforming LTTE from a ragtag small group of fighters to the most ruthless terrorist outfit in the world.

On the evening of 23rd July 1983, the then little known LTTE launched an attack on a convoy of Sri Lankan military in the North off Jaffna killing 15 soldiers. Using an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) the LTTE cadres blew up the Jeep which led the convoy with two soldiers on board. When the soldiers alighted from the follow up vehicles, the LTTE cadres ambushed and killed 15 soldiers.

Though the Government decided to accord a state funeral for the slain soldiers at Borella Kanatta with the intention of avoiding a backlash, the funeral turned out to be epicenter of the riots which soon swelled into the other parts of the country compelling the J.R. Jayewardene regime to clamp down island wide curfew.

The hell broke up on 24th of July, the day of the funeral, when some elements of the UNP started rioting against thousands of Tamils indiscriminately in a highly organised manner.

The goons armed with electoral lists combed the city of Colombo and looted the properties belonging to Tamils while Sinhalese protected large number of Tamils hiding them in their homes.

Though some still erroneously referred to as a communal riots or an attempt by Sinhalese to annihilate Tamils, it was an organised attack on Tamils by goons.

Consequently thousands of Tamils were compelled to seek refuge in India and in European countries such as in Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, France, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand.

One of the important outcomes of the Black July of 1983 was the birth of Tamil Diaspora which has been a dollar spinner for the LTTE and by and largely responsible for the phenomenon growth of its killer machine.

During the intervening years, the LTTE became the dominant terrorist group among the Tamils in the North and the East pursuing its goal of an illusive state of Eelam.

Thousands of Tamils who were professionally qualified were settled down in the West and substantially, either willing or unwilling, contributed to the LTTE’s coffers.

The funds thus raised through LTTE’s front organisation under the cover for humanitarian activities or for the aid of refugees in Sri Lanka, were channelled for the procurement of arms for the LTTE. It is this support base that sustained the LTTE’s military operations in Sri Lanka.

President apologises

In a statement, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga apologized for the atrocities committed during the riots. She specifically stated that Black July of 1983 was a politically manipulated carnage and not communal riots against Tamil as interpreted by LTTE which was highly praised by the international community.

Following the South African model, she appointed a Truth Commission headed by retired judge S. Sharvananda. The Commission, among other things, established that nearly 1000 people were killed and 18,000 establishments were destroyed and recommend compensation be paid to the victims.

Accordingly Government paid compensation to families of the victims.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa on numerous occasions denounced the Black July of 1983 and perused a negotiated path in finding political solution to the national question. President Rajapaksa tried his best to negotiate with LTTE under the Norwegian brokered Cease Fire Agreement until LTTE withdrew from peace talks.

He appointed All Party Conference chaired by Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana in order to address the issues created in the aftermath of the black July of 1983. However, President Rajapaksa is still committed for a negotiated solution and continues Government’s effort through Government’s Secretariat for Peace headed by Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha.

Political scar

The Black July of 1983 is a scar in the contemporary political history of Sri Lanka. It is the day that Sinhalese were castigated as racists. The image of Sri Lanka before the international community was marred by the incidents that took place during the riots. It was sheer unleash of state terror at the time.

Police and armed forces which were to protect the civilians from mobs did hardly anything to control the violence until it reached other parts of the country.

The omnipotent Executive President J.R. Jayawardena did not appear before the nation for nearly a week when the country virtually on flames. After riots were quelled, he addressed the nation through media and made his now famous remarks that people should look after their own security.

As the leader of country, the so-called visionary of UNP washed off his hands indirectly condoning the horrendous crimes against the people.

Following the Black July, J.R. Jayewardene proscribed host of opposition political parties including JVP blaming them for the riots. This eventually led to a blood bath in the South, claiming over 60,000 lives of youth alone.

It is pertinent to mention here that recalling outstanding civil servants in the calibre of Lionel Fernando, who tirelessly work towards addressing issues that led to communal riots such as this, to Colombo, were historical blunders.

Depriving statesmen with impressive academic background like Lalith Athulathmudali of opportunities to building a nation where people are recognised and respected on the basis of their talents and skills rather than on the basis of artificial boundaries , were monumental howlers that changed the course of the nation.

Though the Sinhalese had condemned the horrendous crimes committed against Tamils during the riots, a very little publicity was given to good Samaritans who saved the lives of large number of Tamils. Following the riots, the Government set up temporary shelter and provided food for 20,000 refugees and refugee population in the county increased to 50,000.

LTTE’s lip service to Tamils

LTTE reaped the maximum political yield from the Black July of 1983 tarnishing Sri Lanka’s image internationally and claiming that it is the sole representatives of the Tamils.

Largely due to Sri Lanka’s unprofessional self-serving diplomatic missions abroad, Sri Lanka did not counter the canards circulated by LTTE’s front organisations becoming them gospel truth in the eyes of liberal Europeans.

The international image of the Sri Lanka and particularly of Sinhalese was so bad at the time that Sinhalese were described as barbarians and were humiliated at international airports.

LTTE launched series of attacks against farmers in the threatened villages brutally killing them and committed the same crimes against Sinhalese and Muslims. Sinhalese and Muslims in the North were chased away within forty eight hours destroying their dwellings and business premises. It was the worst form of ethnic cleansing against Muslims that LTTE described as its Tamils speaking brothers.

Massacre of Muslims at prayer in ‘Palliyagodalla’ was blood curdling as it was against all civilised norms. Prominent among the attacks were the massacre of civilians in the sacred city of Anuradhapura near Sri Maha Boodhiya, cold-blooded killing of Buddhist monks in Aranthalawa and attack on Temple of the Tooth or Dalada Maligama which is a world heritage site in order to create a backlash against Tamil in Sri Lanka.

One novice monk described the gory scene of carnage when LTTE carders stopped the convoy carrying Buddhist monks at Aranthalawa and killed, at least, twenty seven Buddhist monks.

Over the twenty five years since the Black July of 1983, LTTE killed large number of Sinhalese and Muslims by series of attacks on civilian targets in addition to killing Tamil political leaders from Alfred Doraiappa to Dr. Neelan Thiruchelvam and former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. For LTTE, Black July is a mere political slogan to win international sympathy even after twenty five years.

Has LTTE done anything to redress the grievances of Tamils or the families of the victims of Black July of 1983? As Sri Lankans look back on the bleak hours of the black July which claimed the lives of thousands of Tamils and changed the course of collective destiny of the nation, time is ripe for the nation to wash off the scar and to rise to confront the challenges before it.