July 1983 Anti-Tamil Pogrom: State-Engineered Violence, Not Spontaneity - Colombo Telegraph

July 1983 Anti-Tamil Pogrom: State-Engineered Violence, Not Spontaneity - Colombo Telegraph

By Lionel Bopage – Dr. Lionel Bopage Communal violence in Sri Lanka did not erupt overnight. The tragic events of July 1983 were not simply a spontaneous reaction to the killing of 13 Sri Lankan soldiers by Tamil militants. Rather, they represented the culmination of decades of political manipulation, systemic discrimination, and calculated brutality. Evidence points to the direct involvement of ruling party officials in orchestrating the violen…

July 1983: State Engineered Violence Not Spontaneity - Groundviews

Photo courtesy of Jurist News Communal violence in Sri Lanka did not erupt overnight. The tragic events of July 1983 were not simply a spontaneous reaction to the killing of 13 soldiers by Tamil militants. Rather, they represented the culmination of decades of political manipulation, systemic discrimination and calculated brutality. Evidence points to the direct involvement of ruling party officials in orchestrating the violence, making it a sta…