Nadesan Satyendra

The matters presented here in Genocide'83 constitute, at the lowest, prima facie evidence, sufficient to warrant an indictment for genocide against the Sri Lanka authorities for the crimes committed against the Tamil people in July and August 1983. Paul Sieghart in his  Report of a Mission to Sri Lanka on behalf of the International Commission of Jurists and its British Section, Justice, March 1984, concluded: 

 "Clearly this was not a spontaneous upsurge of communal hatred among the Sinhala people.. It was a series of deliberate acts, executed in accordance with a concerted plan, conceived and organised well in advance. But who were the planners?... Communal riots in which Tamils are killed, maimed, robbed and rendered homeless are no longer isolated episodes; they are beginning to become a pernicious habit." [see 1956, 1958, 1961, 1974 and 1977]

The International Commission of Jurists Review declared in December 1983 -

"Under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, acts of murder committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group as such are considered as acts of genocide. The evidence points clearly to the conclusion that the violence of the Sinhala rioters on the Tamils (in July/August 1983) amounted to acts of genocide."

Velupillai Pirapaharan, Leader of Tamil Eelam  in an interview with Anita Pratap, March 1984 concluded -

 "..Our view is that the July holocaust was a pre-planned, well-orchestrated genocidal pogrom against the Tamils, carried out by the racial elements of the ruling party. Initially, these racist elements did attempt to put the whole blame on the LTTE. Then, suddenly, they blamed the left parties for the riots. But in fact, it is the racist leaders of the present government who should take responsibility for this tragic loss of life."

In 1985, Leo Kuper commented on the failure of the United Nations Sub Commission on Human Rights to condemn the genocidal attack on the Tamil People -

 "....there were also political currents observable in the alignment of members, though I could not altogether fathom the geo political considerations involved. In the end a very mild resolution was passed calling for information from the Sri Lanka government and recommending that the commission examine the situation at the next meeting in the light of the information available. There was, however, only a bare majority for the resolution (10 for, 8 against and 4 abstaining). It is unfortunate that the United Nations did not take a firm stand at this stage..." Leo Kuper in Prevention of Genocide, 1985

That even this mild resolution adopted on 5 September 1983, calling upon Sri Lanka to provide information was opposed by 8 states with another 4 abstaining is not without significance and serves to reinforce the validity of that which Velupillai Pirabakaran declared in his Maha Veerar Naal address on 27 November 1993

 "...We are fully aware that the world is not rotating on the axis of human justice. Every country in this world advances its own interests. Economic and trade interests determine the order of the present world, not the moral law of justice nor the rights of people. International relations and diplomacy between countries are determined by such interests. Therefore we cannot expect an immediate recognition of the moral legitimacy of our cause by the international community...In reality, the success of our struggle depends on us, not on the world. Our success depends on our own efforts, on our own strength, on our own determination..."

Genocide is a crime which transcends national frontiers. Those responsible for Genocide '83 both within the then Sri Lanka government and outside it, should be charged and punished according to law.

Remembering Black July '83 - Anniversaries: 1984 todate

On 23rd Anniversary of Genocide'83 Precursor to what was to befall on Tamils on Black July in 1983, Esan Satkunarajah, 23 July 2006

On 23rd Anniversary of Genocide'83  Remembering Black July Of The Failed State, Dr J.S.A Jeyaretnam, 12 July 2006

On 23rd Anniversary of Genocide'83  Former Sri Lanka President J.R. Jayawardene's liability - Statement by  Asian Human Rights Commission 17 July 2006 together with comment by tamilnation.org

On 23rd Anniversary of Genocide'83 Black July 1983: An Epochal Episode In Tamil Freedom Fight, Dharakan, 30 June 2006