Documenting the Genocide Against Tamils

A memorial and educational resource preserving the memory of victims and documenting the systematic violence against the Tamil people in Sri Lanka.

Explore Timeline View All Massacres

59,606+

Lives Lost

343

Documented Massacres

564,000+

Displaced

1956-2009

Years of Violence

Documented Victim Demographics

128

Children Killed

(Age 12 and under)

112

Students Killed

(School & university)

Elders Killed

(Age 60 and above)

Based on 655 victims with documented names and details

Systematic Targeting of Civilians

Protected sites under international humanitarian law were deliberately attacked, demonstrating a pattern of systematic violence against the Tamil population.

Schools

3294 killed

132

Hospitals

46087 killed

Churches

741 killed

Temples

1751 killed

Markets

101 killed

Refugee Camps

4,361 killed

Methods of Attack

Aerial Bombings

Air Force attacks on civilian areas

1960 killed

Claymore Mines

Deep Penetration Unit attacks

601 killed

Civilian Transport Attacked

Passenger Buses

Including school buses

5081 killed

Fishing Boats

Navy attacks on fishermen

1222 killed

Ambulances

Medical vehicles targeted

613 killed

Understanding the Genocide

The systematic persecution and mass killing of Tamils in Sri Lanka spans decades.

From 1956 onwards, the Tamil population of Sri Lanka faced systematic discrimination, violence, and persecution. What began as discriminatory legislation escalated into organized pogroms, military operations against civilian populations, and ultimately, mass atrocities that claimed tens of thousands of lives.

The violence reached its peak during the final phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009, when an estimated 40,000-70,000 Tamil civilians were killed in what has been described as genocide. Despite multiple UN reports documenting war crimes and crimes against humanity, there has been no accountability.

This website serves to document these events, preserve the memory of victims, and ensure that the world does not forget what happened to the Tamil people.

Major Massacres

Key events in the history of violence against Tamils

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Major Event

Inginiyakala Massacre

June 5, 1956

Inginiyakala, Ampara

In the 1940s, the Minister of Agriculture created several Sinhala settlements in the Amparai district using state funds, including the Galoya development scheme. Buddhist temples were built and a declaration was made that wherever the ringing of these bells could be heard are lands belonging to Sinhala Buddhist people, confiscating land belonging to Tamils and Muslims. In the parliamentary elections of 1956, S.W.R.D. Bandaranayake was elected as the new prime minister and submitted the Sinhala Only law to parliament. On 05.06.1956, the main Tamil political party launched a Satyagraha protest in front of the old parliament building in Colombo. This protest was attacked by Sinhala thugs. Following this attack, shops in Colombo owned by Tamils were looted and burnt down. In the Amparai district, the recently settled Sinhala thugs started violent attacks against the Tamils. 150 Tamils working in a sugar cane farm and factory in Inginiyagala under the Galoya scheme were killed. The bodies of the dead and injured were thrown on a fire. This is the first large scale massacre of Tamils in the island and many more followed over the following decades.

150

Killed

Major Event

1958 Anti-Tamil Pogrom

22-28 May 1958

Colombo and nationwide

In May 1958, plans were ahead for a Tamil Political Party conference to be held in Vavuniya. Tamils travelling by train from Batticaloa and Amparai for the conference were attacked by Sinhala mobs in Polonnaruwa. Following this incident, further violence against Tamils was let loose throughout the island. Women were raped and Tamil property was damaged. A priest was burnt alive inside his Kathirvelayutha temple in Pananthura. The Sri Lankan government looked on as the violence against Tamils continued. Many Tamil homes were set alight. Babies were dropped in hot tar. Well known journalist Tarzi Vittachchi wrote the famous book "Emergency 58" about this pogrom after he was expelled from the country. More than 300 Tamils were killed in this pogrom.

Burning of Jaffna Public Library

June 1, 1981

Jaffna

Jaffna library was considered the largest library with the rarest collection of books and manuscripts in the whole of South Asia. It was the educational heritage of the people in the North of the island. It was located south of the Jaffna town on the eastern end of a famous sports ground. The library housed more than 97,000 rare books and was unique in the entire island. For its time, it was a library well designed for study and was sought by students and academics as well as by foreign diplomats. On 1 June 1981 at 10:00 pm, all three armed forces of the Sri Lankan government entered the library premises and chased away the security guard. They broke open the library door and started burning books. A rare collection of 97,000 books were burnt in a few minutes. The building was also set alight. The burning of the Jaffna library is one clear example of the intent of the Sri Lankan government to destroy the Tamil culture in the island. Rev Fr Thaveethu, who watched the Jaffna library burning from the second storey of the Bishop's House died of heart attack on the spot.

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Major Event

Black July (1983 Pogrom)

23-29 July 1983

Colombo and nationwide

Using the claymore attack on 23.07.1983 in Thirunelveli that killed 13 Sri Lankan soldiers as a pretext, an island wide pogrom against Tamils was let loose organized by the government ministers. On Sunday 24th of July 1983 several persons boarded public and private buses in Colombo and began to make racist remarks. Some shops belonging to Tamil traders were burnt and some people beaten and killed. By Monday morning the attacks had spread to several outlying areas of Colombo. Thugs with electoral lists in their hands went from house to house, killing Tamils and burning property owned by Tamils. Several eye witnesses including tourists have reported that the security personnel looked on as the violence was perpetrated. There are reports that the Army even threatened Police not to harass the rioters. On 25th July Sinhala prisoners attacked and murdered 35 Tamil detainees in the Welikade prison in Colombo. Another 28 Tamil detainees in a different section were later killed. 200,000 Tamils were immediately rendered refugees. Tamil organizations estimate that nearly 3,000 Tamils were killed. All non-government reports concluded that the violence was deliberately started by the government and was carried out through the use of thugs, controlled and organized by members of the governing United National Party.