List of riots in Sri Lanka

Following is a List of riots in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is an island nation situated in South Asia. It has experienced ethnic tensions between its majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils and Moors populations since 1915 from time to time.[1]

Location of Sri Lanka

20th century

1900–1950

1915 - 1915 Ceylonese riots, Kandy, Central Province - Riots between Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Moors when a group of Moors attacked a Buddhist pageant with stones, soon spreading across the island.

1950s

1953 - 1953 Ceylonese Hartal, Western, Southern and Sabaragamuwa Provinces - a nationwide demonstration, a hartal which eventually led to civil unrest. It was one of the riots that didn't involve ethnicity and was conducted by Leftist groups.
1956 - 1956 anti-Tamil pogrom, Eastern Province - The first reported pogrom that targeted minority Sri Lankan Tamils in Gal Oya, a new settlement in the Eastern Province. The total number of deaths is reportedly 150.[2]
1958 - 1958 anti-Tamil pogrom, Sri Lanka - 1958 ethnic pogrom and riots popularly known also as the 58 riots was a watershed event in the race relationship of the various ethnic communities of Sri Lanka. The total number of deaths is estimated to be 300, mostly Sri Lankan Tamils.[2]

1960

In 1969 Ceylon Communist Party (Maoist) conducted a mass rally in 1969 which ended in bloodshed, the major cause for the riot is the banning of the May Day rally. [3]

1970s

1970 - Ceylonese protests against the Vietnam War - started at the height of the Cold War with certain clashes between Leftists and the Sri Lankan police.
1977 - 1977 anti-Tamil pogrom, Sri Lanka - Anti-Tamil pogrom starting on 12 August 1977, less than a month after the United National Party came to power in 1977. Over 300 Tamils were killed during these riots.[4]

1980s

1981 - Burning of Jaffna library, Jaffna, Northern Province - The destruction of the Jaffna Public Library, with the loss of over 100,000 books, artifacts and palm writings. Four Sri Lankan Tamils were killed.[5]
1981 - anti-Tamil pogroms were carried out by Sinhalese mobs against predominantly Indian Tamils in Ratnapura, Kahawatte and Balangoda areas. Shops were looted and set on fire and many women and girls were raped by marauding mobs
1983 - Black July anti-Tamil pogrom, Sri Lanka - pogrom committed against Tamils of Sri Lanka where between 400 and 3,000 Tamil civilians were killed and many more made homeless and refugees. This was believed to be the origin of the Sri Lankan Civil War.[6]
1987 - 1987 Trincomalee riots, Trincomalee, Eastern Province - riots between Tamils and Sinhalese in Trincomalee that later morphed into LTTE violence against Sinhalese killed over 200 Sinhalese and rendered thousands homeless and displaced in the Eastern Province.

1990s

1997 - Kalutara prison riots, Kalutara Western Province - Three Tamil detainees were killed at the Kalutara high security detention center on 12 December 1997.[7][8][9][10]

21st century

2000s

2001 - Mawanella Riots, Mawanella, Central Province - Clashes that resulted in the deaths of 2 people, and more than 15 injured and the destruction of property.
2002 - Beruwala riots, Beruwala, Western Province - In 2002, sectarian clashes sparked between the Wahabbi and the Sunni sects of the Muslim community in Beruwala which left at least 3 dead and over 16 injured during police intervention in the conflict.[11][12]

2010s

2012 - 2012 Welikada prison riot, Welikada, Western Province - A riot in the Welikada Prison in November 2012 resulted in death of 27 prisoners and 43 injuries.[13][14][15]
2014 - 2014 anti-Muslim riots, Kalutara Western Province - Clashes between Sinhalese and Muslims resulting in four dead and 80 injured.
2018 - 2018 anti-Muslim riots - Clashes between Sinhalese and Muslims causing attacks on Muslim community, mosques.
2019 - 2019 anti-Muslim riots - Retaliation after the Easter bombings on Muslim community and Muslim-owned property and mosques.

References

Chattopadhyaya, H. Ethnic Unrest in Modern Sri Lanka: An Account of Tamil-Sinhalese Race Relations, pp. 51-82
"An evolving army and its role through time". Sunday Times. 16 October 2005. Retrieved 29 October 2008. The outbreak of island wide ethnic violence from May 24–27, 1958, saw for the first time the deployment of military personnel under emergency proclamations throughout the entire island, where Colombo and the North and East of the country witnessed the worst violence leading to over 300 deaths.
Banned May Day Rally (PDF).
Kearney, R.N. (1985). "Ethnic Conflict and the Tamil Separatist Movement in Sri Lanka". Asian Survey. 25 (9): 898–917. doi:10.1525/as.1985.25.9.01p0303g. JSTOR 2644418.
Over two decades after the burning down of the Jaffna library in Sri Lanka Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
Harrison, Frances (23 July 2003). "Twenty years on – riots that led to war". BBC News. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
"ASA 37/30/97 Sri Lanka: Appeal for a full inquiry into prison killings". Amnesty International. 15 December 1997.
"Sri Lanka: Killing of Political Prisoners in Kalutara Prison". Asian Human Rights Commission. 23 December 1997.
"Chronology for Sri Lankan Tamils in Sri Lanka". United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees/Minorities at Risk Project. 2004. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013.
"Three Tamil prisoners killed by Sinhala inmates". TamilNet. 12 December 1997.
"Times Online - Daily Online Edition of The Sunday Times Sri Lanka". www.sundaytimes.lk. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
"news09". www.island.lk. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
Jayakody, Pradeep (21 November 2012). "Welikada Prison Riot". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka).
"Sri Lanka troops accused of prison 'massacre'". Al Jazeera. 11 November 2012.
"Probe sought in Sri Lankan prison 'massacre'". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Associated Press. 11 November 2012.

External links

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[1] Chattopadhyaya, H. Ethnic Unrest in Modern Sri Lanka: An Account of Tamil-Sinhalese Race Relations, pp. 51-82

[Army-2] "An evolving army and its role through time". Sunday Times. 16 October 2005. Retrieved 29 October 2008. The outbreak of island wide ethnic violence from May 24–27, 1958, saw for the first time the deployment of military personnel under emergency proclamations throughout the entire island, where Colombo and the North and East of the country witnessed the worst violence leading to over 300 deaths.

[3] Banned May Day Rally (PDF).

[Kearney1985-4] Kearney, R.N. (1985). "Ethnic Conflict and the Tamil Separatist Movement in Sri Lanka". Asian Survey. 25 (9): 898–917. doi:10.1525/as.1985.25.9.01p0303g. JSTOR 2644418.

[5] Over two decades after the burning down of the Jaffna library in Sri Lanka Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine

[6] Harrison, Frances (23 July 2003). "Twenty years on – riots that led to war". BBC News. Retrieved 10 October 2009.

[7] "ASA 37/30/97 Sri Lanka: Appeal for a full inquiry into prison killings". Amnesty International. 15 December 1997.

[8] "Sri Lanka: Killing of Political Prisoners in Kalutara Prison". Asian Human Rights Commission. 23 December 1997.

[9] "Chronology for Sri Lankan Tamils in Sri Lanka". United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees/Minorities at Risk Project. 2004. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013.

[10] "Three Tamil prisoners killed by Sinhala inmates". TamilNet. 12 December 1997.

[11] "Times Online - Daily Online Edition of The Sunday Times Sri Lanka". www.sundaytimes.lk. Retrieved 3 June 2019.

[12] "news09". www.island.lk. Retrieved 3 June 2019.

[13] Jayakody, Pradeep (21 November 2012). "Welikada Prison Riot". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka).

[14] "Sri Lanka troops accused of prison 'massacre'". Al Jazeera. 11 November 2012.

[15] "Probe sought in Sri Lankan prison 'massacre'". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Associated Press. 11 November 2012.