whatever ON 24 JULY news trickled in to Colombo about a big death toll amongst army personnel north as a result of 'terrorist' attacks. Armed youth in the north had set off a remote bomb whilst an army convoy was passing and then shot practically every soldier that alighted from the vehicles.
According to the figures released by (both the government 13 persons were dead Further including the lieutenant that commandLed the unit and two others were seriously injured. Unconfirmed reports that the two injured soldiers had also participate died.
Sunday nights
began. Several persons boarded public and private buses and began to make racist and provocative remarks designed to whip up racial hatred. Meanwhile the government nad. ments to bury the dead soldiers — it apVice pears without giving relatives an opportunity to take the dead bodies to their homes. The burials were to take place at Borella (Kanatte Cemetery). mishap had occurred and the burials did not take place. The result was people who had been waiting to use the whole incident. launch pogrom went ahead with their plans despite the fact that the dead bodies did not arrive at Borella.
That Sunday night shops belonging to Tamil traders were burnt and some people were beaten and killed. troubles spread quickly. The police and the army egged them on. And by Monmorning attacks had spread to da y Narahana. Petrat Fort.
18 August 1983 Wattala etc.
controlled Wing the loot.
HOOL
several incidents. were being broken say preparations lesson. and policemen.
made arrange- Pogrom Some Clerical racial and beating were setting place were couraging them 1 ne shouting Kotte, anew.
Many criminal types took the opportunity to loot. But on this occasion the attacks were more political - many attackers did not take any loot. They set fire to shops and their contents and even tried to prevent people from takBut in many places there were people who were only after the On Monday morning I witnessed Many Tamil shops into and goods looted and then shops were set on fire The people were in a different mood from the 1977 and 1981 attacks. Even the by-standers were approving the atand stating that the "Tigers' (reference to armed groups in the Tamil speaking North) should be taught a Amongst them were soldiers As I walked towards the Lake House building and then to the GovernService headquarters near the Lake House book shop I saw a new stage in the pogrom -groups of thugs were stopping vehicles to bus depots.
up Tamil people. They fire to cars and robbing tried them of all their possessions. And the soldiers in army trucks that passed the waving at them and enand the thugs were 'victory' (Jayawewa) to the soldiers. Only the police made any attempt to save one or two people. When they left the place the trouble began smoke.
! went untothe GCSU and spoke 1o were streaming in to the streets and offices had been closed. The government had meanwhile imposed a curfew to begin at 2pm and closed all schools and government offices. But there were no buses - most of them were being taken Some private buses operated but they were crowded.
telephone Father Caspersz' several times but it was impossible to get through. I also tried to get through to Mirje office, that too was difficult. I left the GCSU at about 12.30pm. Massive fires were burning verywhere and the wholeof d of da as engulfed in a thick clou overturned and burnt. One area where there was no sign of any trouble was
• Race riots inspired by state ri Lanka... am of fairyland FIFTY attacks my.
not TWO KEY Tamil militants, including Kuttimani and Jegan, detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in the maximum security prison at Welikada were massacred in two seperate 'prison riots'.
Rampaging Sinhala prisoners are alleged to have attacked them. Nonsense! The were planned, reliably understand, by the arA radio broadcast by the President on the 28 July did condemn the arson, looting and murder. Instead he said '... the time has come to