Black July 1983 anniversary :

‘Move beyond memories towards reconciliation’– Minister Swaminathan

The country should engage in more efforts for inter-ethnic reconciliation and peace-building to bridge the gulf between communities, say both civil society activists as well as government leaders, as Sri Lanka remembers the largest ever inter-ethnic rioting in modern Sri Lanka that occurred 33 years ago in July 1983.

Thirty three years following the fateful events now known as ‘Black July’ which engulfed many parts of Sri Lanka in flames and turmoil, the country is slowly coming to terms with the tragedy as post-war peace building efforts, including constitutional reform, gather momentum under the government’s leadership.

The week-long rioting that began on July 23rd 1983 was marked as one of the darkest periods in the history of the country, as ethnic violence spread through the island, with many men, women and children losing their lives, or their kith and kin or their homes, businesses and possessions.

Thirty three years following the fateful events now known as ‘Black July’ which engulfed many parts of Sri Lanka in flames and turmoil, the country is slowly coming to terms with the tragedy as post-war peace building efforts, including constitutional reform, gather momentum under the government’s leadership.

“Looking back, the political leaderships now feel that the country is on its way to reconciliation,” D.M. Swaminathan, Minister of Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs told the Sunday Observer. “The date is a terrible date on the calendar for many concerned but we have to move on beyond these memories and concentrate on reconciliation,” he said.

“With the constitutional reforms that the country is engaged in it is evident we are making good progress,” he noted. However, Swaminathan cautioned against extremist elements working to spark conflict yet again. This was evident in the recent clash between two student groups from Jaffna University, he said.

Executive Director of the National Peace Council, Jehan Perera, however, feels that much more needs to be done in terms of reconciliation.

“Thirty three years after Black July, Sri Lanka still needs greater and ceaseless efforts to promote inter-ethnic harmony. There needs to be people-to-people dialogue and exchange among all sections in society in general, to continue this peace building effort,” he said.

In the light of the recent student clash in the Jaffna University, the Peace Council has proposed that the ethnic mix of university campus student populations should be proportionate to the ethnic composition of local communities in which they are situated. Elaborating, Dr. Perera said, “…in the Science Faculty of the Jaffna University, 60% of the students are Sinhalese, and in the Science Faculty of the Eastern University, the Sinhala students amount to 80%. If there had been such a high percentage of Tamil or Muslim students in Ruhuna University, that would have caused friction too.”

The difference is that, Perera explained, when last week’s incident occurred, the government showed great interest in putting an end to the conflict and investigating the situation impartially. Numerous statements were issued by academics from the University of Jaffna and civil society organizations, expressing their concern and advocating tolerance and understanding.

Chandrasena Maliyedda, the Director General of the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR), stressed that the clash in Jaffna should not be considered as religious or racial. “Today, Sri Lanka is trying to come to terms with the peace process, this was an unfortunate incident that needs to be addressed separately,” he said.

The incident in Jaffna would not jeopardize the reconciliation process, he said. He commented that the government had responded to the Jaffna incident in an acceptable and democratic way, which was not the case in 1983.