SRI LANKA Forty years later, they prevent to remember the ‘Black July’ in Colombo

The riots marked the event that was intended to commemorate the so-called “Black July” – the 1983 massacres against the Tamils ​​- and promote the unity of the country. Nationalists participated in the riots and the police unloaded on the protesters. March organizers: “We will continue to resist and remember those who were killed.”

Colombo () – On Sunday, July 23, the Colombo police broke up demonstrations to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the “Black July” of 1983. On that date, mass violence broke out in which hundreds of Tamils ​​were killed in retaliation for an ambush that left 13 Sri Lankan soldiers dead. The commemorative event organized by the North-South Brotherhood and the Youth Socialist Union under the slogan “Let’s not divide, let’s fly together” was interrupted by a group of people claiming to belong to the racist organization “Sinhala Ravaya” near the Borella cemetery in Colombo. In addition, riot police attacked protesters in Purahala.

The organizers protested because the right to expression is restricted and the unity of the country is hindered. The intention was simply to remember the people killed in 1983 in the North and South by lighting lamps. But the “Sihala Ravaya” blamed the organizers: “This type of event, which receives money from non-governmental organizations, cannot be approved.”

The police made no effort to stop the agitators who came to Borella to break up the peaceful march, maintaining that it was an illegal demonstration. Some human rights activists denounced that they suffered acts of violence. “What happened in 1983 in this country cannot be allowed to happen again,” protested the promoters of the initiative, “no matter how many obstacles we come across, we will resist.”