Today in History (24-30 July 1983)
39 years ago, an Anti-Tamil Pogrom descended across Sri Lanka eventually escalating into mass violence killing thousands. This week, we'll be hearing the stories of the victims, trying to stop it from happening again.
#BlackJuly1983 #LKA
“While travelling on a bus when a mob laid siege to it, passengers watched as a small boy was hacked ‘to limb-less death.’ The bus driver was ordered to give up a Tamil. He pointed out a woman who was desperately trying to erase the mark on her forehead..."
-William McGowan (1/2)
"The woman’s belly was ripped open with a broken bottle and she was immolated as people clapped and danced. In another incident, two sisters, one eighteen and one eleven, were decapitated and raped, the latter ‘until there was nothing left to violate..'
-William McGowan (2/2)
“…Army personnel actively encouraged arson and the looting of Tamil business establishments and homes in Colombo” and how “absolutely no action was taken to apprehend or prevent the criminal elements involved in these activities."
- London Times
"A Sinhala mob looting a Tamil shop, with uniformed policemen looking on"
Source: sangam.org
Add your stories below! Let's record the history so we can show that it matters!
Share History ➡️ Stop Violence
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.