Tamils hold vigils for Black July

Sashi Dharann, Melbourne

A 24-hour candlelight vigil was held on July 24-25 in remembrance of the victims of the 1983 "Black July" anti-Tamil riots in Sri Lanka.

"There is not one Tamil person who was not directly affected by these events, whether personally or through a loved one. We were all affected", M. Sivakumar, the Eelam Tamil Association Victoria president, told the vigil, which was attended by 200 people.

The July 1983 riots were responsible for the deaths of around 3000 Sri Lankan Tamil citizens, billions of rupees worth of damage to property and the displacement of some 60,000 people. The carnage was partly committed by the Sri Lanka police and soldier, but mainly by mobs of Sinhala civilians organised by elements of the then-ruling Sinhalese-dominated United National Party.

Chilling accounts of the events of July 1983 were given by some of those who were victims of the pogrom. Speakers called on the Australian government to pressure the Sri Lankan government to desist from its continual abuses of Tamils' human rights. Margarita Windisch and Chris Slee spoke on behalf of the Socialist Alliance, expressing solidarity with the Tamil people's struggle for respect for their democratic rights.

The Melbourne vigil was part of a worldwide commemoration of Black July and protest against continuing repression by the Sri Lankan government. The Sri Lanka-based Tamil.net website reported on July 26 that nearly 1000 people attended Sydney's Black July vigil in Martin Place.

From GLW issue 677