146:"In the hill country, crowds armed with clubs, iron rods, bicycle chains, swords and knives roamed the estates burning, pillaging, looting and killing. Police and army units stood watching, often encouraging the rioters. In the eastern border villages, entire villages were burnt down. People ran into the forests to save their lives. They then took refuge in government schools and Hindu temples. Over 25,000 Tamil plantation workers were rendered homeless in the hills and over 10,000 villagers were made refugees in the east.”
314:
141:
during the months of June, July and August 1981. Organised
Sinhala mobs looted and burnt Tamil shops and houses in Jaffna, Ratnapura, Balangoda, Kahawatte, Colombo and in the border villages in the Batticaloa and Amparai districts. Further looting, arson and killings then spread to the rural
26:
184:
499:
478:
279:
720:
710:
548:
301:
174:
463:
161:, as well as the offices of a Tamil newspaper, and the home of a Tamil MP. The violence was said to have been organized by members of the ruling
150:
Brian Eads in the London
Observer of 20 September 1981 reported that an orgy of arson and looting was planned, orchestrated and carried out in
504:
715:
690:
626:
621:
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745:
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680:
606:
426:
559:
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421:
158:
700:
577:
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165:. In all, 25 people died, scores of women were raped, and thousands were made homeless, losing all their meager belongings.
372:
348:
695:
735:
473:
730:
670:
518:
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62:
611:
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725:
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571:
402:
396:
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Brian Eads - The Cover Up That Failed - The
Prohibited Report From Colombo, London Observer - 20 September 1981
265:
Brian Eads - The Cover Up That Failed - The
Prohibited Report From Colombo, London Observer - 20 September 1981
256:
Brian Eads - The Cover Up That Failed - The
Prohibited Report From Colombo, London Observer - 20 September 1981
247:
Brian Eads - The Cover Up That Failed - The
Prohibited Report From Colombo, London Observer - 20 September 1981
229:
Brian Eads - The Cover Up That Failed - The
Prohibited Report From Colombo, London Observer - 20 September 1981
211:
Brian Eads - The Cover Up That Failed - The
Prohibited Report From Colombo, London Observer - 20 September 1981
202:
Brian Eads - The Cover Up That Failed - The
Prohibited Report From Colombo, London Observer - 20 September 1981
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660:
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631:
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432:
342:
125:
113:
79:
58:
594:
654:
83:
25:
565:
313:
138:
39:
185:
List of attacks on civilians attributed to Sri Lankan government forces
151:
75:
154:
by the predominantly
Sinhalese Buddhist police force in the area.
87:
283:
517:
462:
412:
333:
322:
238:
T.Sabaratnam, Pirapaharan Vol 1. (2003) Chapter 25.
220:
T.Sabaratnam, Pirapaharan Vol 1. (2003) Chapter 25.
109:
101:
93:
69:
53:
45:
35:
18:
144:
295:
8:
310:Coups, rebellions, and revolts in Sri Lanka
500:2015 alleged Sri Lankan coup d'Ă©tat attempt
549:Protests against the Vietnam War in Ceylon
479:1966 alleged Ceylonese coup d'Ă©tat attempt
330:
302:
288:
280:
175:List of anti-minority pogroms in Sri Lanka
24:
15:
195:
721:20th-century mass murder in Sri Lanka
711:Riots and civil disorder in Sri Lanka
505:2018 Sri Lankan constitutional crisis
7:
373:Second Polonnaruwa War of Succession
627:2019 anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka
622:2018 anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka
617:2014 anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka
349:First Polonnaruwa War of Succession
14:
607:2005 Inuvil shooting and protests
560:Burning of Jaffna Public Library
422:Sri Lankan independence movement
312:
159:Jaffna public library was burned
97:Knives, clubs, iron rods, fire
1:
379:Kandyan independence movement
427:Great Rebellion of 1817–1818
474:1962 Ceylonese coup attempt
762:
716:Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka
691:August 1981 events in Asia
495:1987–1989 JVP insurrection
612:2012 Welikada prison riot
403:Nikapitiye Bandara Revolt
23:
746:Sri Lankan Tamil history
686:July 1981 events in Asia
681:June 1981 events in Asia
638:2022 Sri Lankan protests
572:Welikada prison massacre
397:2nd Kuruvita rala Revolt
391:1st Kuruvita rala Revolt
157:During the violence the
385:Kangara arachchi Revolt
49:June, July, August 1981
701:Massacres in Sri Lanka
578:1987 Trincomalee riots
355:Queen Sugala rebellion
148:
135:1981 anti-Tamil pogrom
19:1981 anti-Tamil pogrom
583:Kalutara prison riots
555:1977 Sri Lankan riots
534:1953 Ceylonese Hartal
484:1971 JVP insurrection
163:United National Party
122:Sri Lankan government
30:Location of Sri Lanka
589:Bindunuwewa massacre
544:1958 Ceylonese riots
539:1956 Ceylonese riots
529:1915 Ceylonese riots
489:Sri Lankan Civil War
451:Cocos Islands mutiny
180:Sri Lankan Civil War
696:1980s fires in Asia
445:Suriya-Mal Movement
439:Temperance movement
736:Arson in Sri Lanka
632:Mahara prison riot
367:Rajarata Rebellion
731:Rape in Sri Lanka
671:1981 in Sri Lanka
646:
645:
513:
512:
491: (1983-2009)
447: (1933–1939)
429: (1817–1818)
405: (1616–1617)
399: (1616–1619)
375: (1186–1187)
357: (1157–1158)
351: (1110-1153)
131:
130:
753:
433:Matale rebellion
361:Ruhuna Rebellion
343:Velakkara revolt
331:
317:
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275:
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126:Sri Lanka Police
80:ethnic cleansing
59:Sri Lankan Tamil
28:
16:
761:
760:
756:
755:
754:
752:
751:
750:
726:Looting in Asia
651:
650:
647:
642:
595:Mawanella riots
520:
509:
465:
458:
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12:
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5:
759:
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749:
748:
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738:
733:
728:
723:
718:
713:
708:
703:
698:
693:
688:
683:
678:
673:
668:
663:
661:Tamil genocide
653:
652:
644:
643:
641:
640:
635:
629:
624:
619:
614:
609:
604:
601:Beruwala riots
598:
592:
586:
580:
575:
569:
563:
557:
552:
546:
541:
536:
531:
525:
523:
521:civil disorder
515:
514:
511:
510:
508:
507:
502:
497:
492:
486:
481:
476:
470:
468:
466:(1948–present)
460:
459:
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448:
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436:
430:
418:
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414:British Ceylon
410:
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9:
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3:
2:
758:
747:
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724:
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719:
717:
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679:
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676:Arson in 1981
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423:
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389:
386:
383:
381: (1470s)
380:
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38:
34:
27:
22:
17:
706:Ethnic riots
648:
634: (2020)
603: (2002)
597: (2001)
591: (2000)
585: (1997)
574: (1983)
568: (1983)
562: (1981)
453: (1942)
441: (1895)
435: (1848)
393: (1603)
387: (1603)
369: (1168)
363: (1160)
345: (1084)
270:
261:
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243:
234:
225:
216:
207:
198:
156:
149:
145:
137:occurred in
134:
132:
110:Perpetrators
63:Indian Tamil
334:Monarchical
84:mass murder
71:Attack type
666:1981 riots
655:Categories
566:Black July
327:rebellions
191:References
142:interior:
57:Primarily
519:Riots and
464:Sri Lanka
336:Sri Lanka
325:coups and
323:Attempted
139:Sri Lanka
114:Sinhalese
65:civilians
40:Sri Lanka
169:See also
36:Location
741:Pogroms
94:Weapons
551:(1971)
152:Jaffna
116:mobs,
102:Deaths
76:Pogrom
54:Target
88:arson
133:The
61:and
46:Date
118:UNP
657::
124:,
120:,
105:25
86:,
82:,
78:,
303:e
296:t
289:v
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