List of riots in Sri Lanka explained

Following is a list of riots and protests in Sri Lanka, an island nation situated in South Asia. Throughout its history, Sri Lanka has experienced a number of riots. Since 1915, many of them have stemmed from ethnic tensions between the Sinhalese majority and minority Tamil and Moor populations.^[1]

19th century

• 1883 Kotahena riots (Kotahena, Western Province) − Riots erupt once Buddhists who were proceeding in procession to Deepaduttarama Viharaya at Kotahena are attacked by a group of Roman Catholics.^{[2] [3]}

20th century

1915

• 1915 Ceylonese riots (Kandy, Central Province) − Riots between Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Moors erupt after a group of Moors attack a Buddhist pageant with stones. Riots soon spread across the entire island.

1950s

• 1953 Ceylonese Hartal − a nationwide demonstration, a hartal which eventually led to civil unrest. It was one of the riots which did not involve ethnicity and was conducted by several leftist groups.
• 1956 anti-Tamil pogrom (Eastern Province) − The first major Sinhalese-Tamil riots in Ceylon. The majority of victims were Sri Lankan Tamils in Gal Oya, a new settlement in the Eastern Province. The total number of deaths was reportedly 150.
• 1958 anti-Tamil pogrom − Also known as the '58 riots. They were a watershed event for the race relationships between various ethnic communities of Sri Lanka. The total number of deaths was estimated to be 300, mostly Sri Lankan Tamils.^[4]

1960s

• 1966 − Demonstrations in Colombo organized by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, left-wing parties, and trade unions in protest of the Tamil Regulations Act escalate into riots, forcing the government to declare a state of emergency.^[5]
• 1969 − The Ceylon Communist Party (Maoist) conduct a mass rally which ended in bloodshed, the major cause for the riot being the banning of the May Day rally.^[6]

1970s

• 1971 − Ceylonese protests against the Vietnam War: began at the height of the Cold War, with few clashes between various leftist groups and the Sri Lankan police.
• 1977 anti-Tamil pogrom − began on 12 August 1977, less than a month after the United National Party came to power. Over 300 Tamils were killed during the riots.^[7]

1980s

• 1981 anti-Tamil pogrom − carried out by Sinhalese mobs predominantly against Sri Lankan Tamils and Indian Tamils in Ratnapura, Kahawatta and Balangoda. Shops were looted and set on fire and many Tamil women and girls were raped by marauding mobs.
  • Burning of the Jaffna Library (Jaffna, Northern Province) − The Jaffna Public Library is burnt by a mob of Sinhalese individuals, resulting in the loss of over 100,000 books, artifacts and palm writings. Four Sri Lankan Tamils are killed.^[8]
• 1983 anti-Tamil pogrom in Trincomalee - organised violence by Sinhalese mobs and security forces, which targeted the Tamil population of Trincomalee between June and July 1983.
• 1983 − Black July: an anti-Tamil pogrom, between 400 and 3,000 Tamil civilians were killed and many more made homeless and refugees. The riots were believed to be the main cause of the Sri Lankan Civil War.^[9]
• 1985 anti-Tamil pogrom in Karaitivu - organised violence by Muslim mobs and security forces, which targeted the Tamil population of Karaitivu in 1985.
• 1985 Trincomalee massacres - organised violence by security forces and Sinhalese mobs, which targeted the Tamil population of Trincomalee in 1985.
• 1987 Trincomalee riots (Trincomalee, Eastern Province) − riots against the Sinhalese carried about by Tamil mobs, backed by Tamil militant leaders in Trincomalee which later morphed into LTTE violence against the Sinhalese. Over 200 Sinhalese were killed and thousands were rendered homeless or displaced.

1990s

• 1997 − Kalutara prison riots (Kalutara, Western Province) − Three Tamil detainees are killed at the Kalutara high security detention center on 12 December 1997.^{[10] [11] [12] [13]}
• 8 September 1998 − In Ratnapura, a riot against Hill-country Tamils erupts, where 200 organised Sinhalese mobs with the support of local Sinhala politicians burn down 800 houses. The rape of several Tamil women by Sinhalese men is also reported. The riot was sparked by the murder of two Sinhalese youths, one of them in Bandusena, who had a reputation for raping women and being involved in illegal liquor sales. The Sinhalese attackers were given full impunity by the local police and no one was held accountable for their crimes.^[14]

21st century

2000s

• 2001 − Mawanella riots (Mawanella, Sabaragamuwa Province) − Clashes between Sinhalese and Muslims result in the deaths of 2 people, and leave more than 15 injured and property destroyed. Sinhalese mobs attacked several Muslim-owned shops, and vice versa.
• 2002 − Beruwala riots (Beruwala, Western Province) − Sectarian clashes spark between the Wahabbi and the Sunni sects of the Muslim community in Beruwala, leaving at least 3 dead and over 16 injured following police intervention.^{[15] [16]}
• 2005 Inuvil shooting and protests - the killing of a barber in Inuvil by soldiers results in protests by locals in which a police officer is abducted and killed.^[17]
• 2006 anti-Tamil riots in Trincomalee - organised violence by Sinhalese mobs and security forces, which targeted the Tamil population of Trincomalee in April 2006.

2010s

• 2012 Welikada prison riot (Welikada, Western Province) − A riot in the Welikada Prison in November 2012 results in the death of 27 prisoners and 43 injuries.^{[18] [19] [20]}
• 2014 anti-Muslim riots (Kalutara District, Western Province) − Clashes between Sinhalese and Muslims result in four dead and 80 injured.
• 2018 anti-Muslim riots − Clashes between Sinhalese and Muslims, involving Sinhalese attacks on Muslims and mosques.
• 2019 anti-Muslim riots − A series of attacks on Muslims, Muslim-owned property and businesses and mosques in retaliation to the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings.

2020s

• 2020 − Mahara prison riot (Mahara, Western Province) − A riot erupts in the Mahara Prison following rumors that prisoners infected with COVID-19 from other prisons would be transferred to Mahara Prison. The riot resulted in 11 inmates dead and 117 inmates severely injured.
• 2022 Sri Lankan protests − Across the island, several protests erupted against the incumbent government of president Gotabaya Rajapaksa due to poor management of the ongoing economic crisis, severe inflation and shortages of fuel and other essential items.

See also

• Sri Lankan Civil War
• Human rights in Sri Lanka

Further reading

• Book: Vittachi, Tarzie . Emergency '58: The Story of the Ceylon Race Riots . 1958 . OCLC 2054641 . Andre Deutsch .
• Book: Seneratne, Jagath P . Political Violence in Sri Lanka, 1977-1990: Riots, Insurrections, Counter-Insurgencies, Foreign Intervention . VU University Press . 1998 . 90-5383-524-5 .

External links

• Timeline of ethnic conflict
• BBC timeline of Sri Lankan conflict

Notes and References

1. Chattopadhyaya, H. Ethnic Unrest in Modern Sri Lanka: An Account of Tamil-Sinhalese Race Relations, pp. 51-82
2. Book: K.M. . De Silva . History of Ceylon: Volume III . 2009 . Ministry of Higher Education . University of Peradeniya . 202.
3. Book: T. . Bartholomeusz . Catholics, Buddhists, and the Church of England: The 1883 Sri Lankan Riots . 1995 . Buddhist-Christian Studies, 15 . 89–103.
4. News: An evolving army and its role through time. Sunday Times . 2005-10-16 . 2008-10-29. 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..
5. Book: Kearney . Robert . Trade Unions and Politics in Ceylon . 1971 . University of California Press . London, England . 9780520017139 . 151 .
6. Book: Banned May Day Rally.
7. 10.2307/2644418. Kearney, R.N.. 1985. Ethnic Conflict and the Tamil Separatist Movement in Sri Lanka. Asian Survey. 25. 9. 898–917. 2644418.
8. http://www.independentsl.com/cgi-bin/newsscript1.cgi?record=1034 Over two decades after the burning down of the Jaffna library in Sri Lanka
9. News: Twenty years on – riots that led to war. Harrison . Frances. 23 July 2003. BBC News. 10 October 2009.
10. Web site: ASA 37/30/97 Sri Lanka: Appeal for a full inquiry into prison killings. Amnesty International. 15 December 1997.
11. Web site: Sri Lanka: Killing of Political Prisoners in Kalutara Prison. Asian Human Rights Commission. 23 December 1997.
12. Web site: Chronology for Sri Lankan Tamils in Sri Lanka . https://archive.today/20130416010525/http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/publisher,MARP,CHRON,LKA,469f38e0c,0.html . dead . 2013-04-16 . United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees/Minorities at Risk Project . 2004 .
13. News: Three Tamil prisoners killed by Sinhala inmates. TamilNet. 12 December 1997.
14. Asian Human Rights Commission publication, Human Rights Solidarity, Volume 8, No.11, November 1998.
15. Web site: Times Online - Daily Online Edition of The Sunday Times Sri Lanka. www.sundaytimes.lk. 3 June 2019.
16. Web site: news09. www.island.lk. 3 June 2019.
17. News: Jaffna tense: Civilian shot dead by SLA, angry mob kills police officer . 1 February 2024 . . 4 August 2005 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231130144130/https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=15541 . 30 November 2023.
18. News: Jayakody. Pradeep. Welikada Prison Riot. The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). 21 November 2012.
19. News: Sri Lanka troops accused of prison 'massacre'. Al Jazeera. 11 November 2012.
20. News: Probe sought in Sri Lankan prison 'massacre'. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Associated Press. 11 November 2012.