Comments on: The Line: The 1983 Riots #heallanka

By: indi.ca » The Writing On The Wall In Jaffna, 2006 (#heallanka)

indi.ca » The Writing On The Wall In Jaffna, 2006 (#heallanka) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:51:27 +0000

[...] please see the Brigadier’s previous videos on losing his own troops in an LTTE ambush, setting up an IDP camp during the 1983 riots, and setting up an IDP camp for Sinhalese after an LTTE massacre. More will be uploaded under the [...]

By: LC Perera

LC Perera — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 04:05:55 +0000

heallanka@gmail.com

By: LC Perera

LC Perera — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 04:04:41 +0000

Friends, this posting on the 1983 July incidents is one story of many in my lecture on ‘Healing a Wounded Generation’. I spoke of many incidents that wounded all communities during the internal conflicts that spanned throughout since ’48 to date, contributing to the ‘Collective Pain’ of this Sri Lankan generation, irrespective of the language, ideological and ethnic divide. Even though posted for convenience, taking any one story in isolation might give a wrong impression of intent. Suggest readers the whole event into consideration. Any one who wishes to, could contact me on

By: indi.ca » Full Circle: Sinhalese IDPs (1986) #heallanka

indi.ca » Full Circle: Sinhalese IDPs (1986) #heallanka — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:37:38 +0000

[...] on Heal Lanka, this is Brigadier (Retd) L.C. Perera talking about how he came full circle from the 1983 riots in 1986, when he opened an IDP center for Sinhalese massacred by the [...]

By: David Blacker

David Blacker — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:42:04 +0000

Well, each to his own planet. Perhaps it’s collective guilt that makes you notice the Black July stuff more ;)

By: Omr

Omr — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:07:17 +0000

Please David, as if any of those incidents you mentioned are given the same space that 1983 is. All other atrocities and killings are just washed away and 1983 is made out to be the biggest – and only – incident to have happened in Sri Lanka. It’s as if 80 000 people haven’t died since then in a civil war (if you want to call it that), or than another 60 000 were slaughtered in an anti-insurgency campaign. No one, even the NGOs who like to cry at the drop of hat, gives a toss about – no, instead it is 1983 that is frozen in time. Interested parties are trying to apply the same process to May 2009. So for the next fucking god knows how long May 2009 is going to be milked for what it’s worth – just like July 1983. Who knows, maybe May 2009 might even become a bigger sob story than July 1983. Won’t that be fun.

By: David Blacker

David Blacker — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:58:16 +0000

I haven’t compared Black July to the Holocaust (before you get your panties in a bunch again). I compared the dismissive mindset of the descendants of the perpetrators. I don’t know which planet you live on, but down here on Earth, and specifically in Sri Lanka, we are bombarded by Arantalawa, The Bo Tree massacre, the Temple of the Tooth bombing, etc, whenever atrocities are discussed. If you read Sinhalese you see regular discussions about the JVP era.

But thanks for this comment. Whenever there’s a chance of Black July fading away, a moronic comment like yours is guaranteed to bring it back on topic. Keep at it. :D

By: Omr

Omr — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:51:06 +0000

Who has been prosecuted and convicted of all the crimes committed by Tamil militants?

By: myil selvan

myil selvan — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:25:54 +0000

Another reason that 83 isn’t forgotten easily is because no one was prosecuted and convicted of the crimes. In fact Elle Gunawanse Thero who was involved in some incidents during the 1983 riots has been appointed to the Police Service Commission. How can we forget when things like that happen?

By: Omr

Omr — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:11:30 +0000

Please don’t even bother comparing July 1983 to the Holocaust. To do so is an insult to the Jewish people. Now THEY were a people who actually experienced genocide and were singled out for extermination by the Nazis. I would say the thousands dead since 1983 have been forgotten, no one remembers them every year or writes articles about them going on and on about how terrible the loss of life was, do they? No one goes on and on about the 60 000 dead southern youth from the insurgencies, or writes eulogies and wailings about that murderous spree, do they? The truth is – and I’m sure many agree – 1983 has just been made into a gigantic sob story that has already been milked for what it’s worth. It happened 29 years ago. The cow’s udders are dry, the milk has been drunk and it is time to move on. Sri Lanka should not be held hostage to its past.

By: David Blacker

David Blacker — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:52:49 +0000

There are lots of Germans who want to forget the holocaust too, but you don’t get to do that so easily. Yes, it will be used as a justification (and that’s wrong too) but you can’t crap in public and then expect everyone to forget what you did just because you want them to. No one’s forgetting any of the thousands dead since then. In fact that’s a bigger problem than your problem about Black July. Bad smell? Yup, but better go wash your arse then ‘cos it’s your own crap that stinks.

By: Omr

Omr — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:16:10 +0000

Rubbish. I don’t doubt that more and more Sri Lankans are getting sick and tired of 1983 being used as an eternal sob story by interested parties to justify everything from rampant racism to suicide bombings to ethnic cleansing. It’s like a bad smell that just won’t go away, even though more than 80 000 people have died since then in conflict. But who cares about them, right? Yes 1983 was terrible, but’s been close to 30 years now. Time to move on, because the world certainly has.

By: David Blacker

David Blacker — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:07:13 +0000

“I have to ask — for how long is 1983 going to be used as a millstone hung around Sri Lanka’s neck?”

Until comments like yours stop.

By: Omr

Omr — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:23:27 +0000

I have to ask — for how long is 1983 going to be used as a millstone hung around Sri Lanka’s neck? There was massive Hindu on Muslim violence in Gujarat, India in 2002 on par with what happened in 1983, and then massive Hindu on Christian violence in Orissa, India in 2008, but I don’t see any Muslims or Christians going crazy, playing victim to the hilt and sending suicide bombers to blow up all and sundry. Why is that? It’s time to move on from 1983, really, it is.

By: Gungan

Gungan — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 07:14:10 +0000

The Brigadier does have a knack for telling stories and hitting the point home.

By: Johan De Livera

Johan De Livera — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 06:27:53 +0000

These are awesome. Please keep posting these videos. Looking forward to the next.