groundviews » Shanthi Sachithanandan on July 1983

Shanthi Sachithanandan on July 1983

July 28, 2008 at 7:38 am · Categories: Colombo, English, Human Rights, Human Security, IDPs and Refugees, Peace and Conflict, Politics | by groundviews

Prominent Tamil civil society activist Shanthi Sachithanandan shares her experiences of the July 1983 anti-Tamil riots in Sri Lanka.

For the Sinhala version of the interview, click here and visit the Vikalpa YouTube Channel for more short videos on the events of July 1983.

For more articles on July 1983, please click here.

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TNA MP Mr. R. Sampanthan remembers the events of July 1983 Tamil National Alliance MP Mr. R. Sampanthan speaks of the anti-Tamil riots of July 1983. Speaking of the “terrible experience for all Tamil people in Sri Lanka” he says that the riot was “premeditated pogrom… largely believed to be with the support of very influential forces within the then government”. He notes that there were Sinhalese... groundviews, July 23, 2008

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Ekcol said,

July 28, 2008 @ 10:28 am

Hello Shanthi,
I am sad to hear of your ordeal in July 1983 and happy to hear your humane approach to search for a solution. You said you were asked whether you are a Tamil. Did you say you were or did you say you were Sinhala? If you had said you were a Tamil then what did the attackers say or do? Apparently you and the other occupants in the ca was spared. If you had said you were Sinhala, thus denying your origin, how did you feel then, later and now. As you were not beaten up and they let you go it will be educational for other innocent civilian Tamils in the future to follow your strategy if it is something they can adopt.

sahasamvada said,

July 28, 2008 @ 9:58 pm

In the interview titled Prabakaran’s Role in the Tamil National Struggle Shanthi says that ‘Prabakaran is the single most dedicated leader who gave voice and form to the demands that were put by the leaders of the Tamil political movement in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s’. She also puts him on a pedestal saying that he is single minded in his commitment to the cause…but here in the interview regarding the Black July pogroms she talks about people needing to be ‘civilised in dealing with any differences in a manner that befits human beings’…Its surprising how she can say this without giving much thought to the atrocities that this great leader Prabakaran has been committing in the name of the ’cause’!!!

Black July is a terrible moment in the history of Sri Lanka but when we speak out in condemnation of the rights and dignity of humans we must be ‘humane’ enough to stand neutral ground and condemn ALL perpetrators and violators…

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