The following is a list of massacres that have occurred in Sri Lanka and its predecessors. (Numbers may be approximate.)
List of massacres
MassacreDateLocationDeathsPerpetratorsRefs Madulla massacre Madulla British Army [Report of the Sinhala Commission, Part 1], page 55, National Joint Committee, 1998 Uva Rebellion Uva-WellassaThousands British Army Sri Lanka is to revoke British Governor's infamous Gazette Notification , Asian Tribune, Sat, 2011-03-12. Retrieved 21 October 2013.Sumanawathie's success brings lustre back to Uva Wellassa, Ceylon Daily News, 21 October 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.Human Rights came down the generations, Sunday Observer, August 2010Uva destroyed by the Brits now soars, Daily News, November 2012 1915 Sinhalese-Muslim riots 28 May – 8 August 1915 Nationwide (official) Police 1956 anti-Tamil pogrom 5–16 June 1956 Nationwide Government, Sinhalese and Tamil rioters Vittachi, T. Emergency '58: The Story of the Ceylon Race Riots 1958 anti-Tamil pogrom May – June 1958 Nationwide Government, Sinhalese and Tamil rioters Swamy, M. R. Naranayan. Tigers of Lanka: From Boys to Guerrillas, p. 11 Attacks on civilians during the suppression of the JVP insurrection Nationwide Tens ofthousands Government Tamil conference incident Jaffna Police Puttalam massacre Puttalam – Police 1977 anti-Tamil pogrom August 1977 Nationwide Government, Sinhalese and Tamil rioters Murunkan massacre Murunkan, Vavuniya LTTE 1981 anti-Tamil pogrom -August 1981 Nationwide Government Brian Eads - The Cover Up That Failed - The Prohibited Report From Colombo, London Observer - 20 September 1981 Attacks on Tamils in Trincomalee3- Trincomalee Armed Forces The Guardian, 4 July 1983, Frances Ashborn - Killings, arson and looting in TrincoTamil Times, June 1983 - Racial attacks on Tamils continue, bombs flung at MP's house, p4Tamil Times, August 1983 - JUNE DIARY OF ATROCITIES IN TRINCOMALEE, p10 1983 anti-Tamil pogrom -July 1983 Nationwide Army, Government T. Sabaratnam, Pirapaharan, Volume 2, Chapter 5 – The Second Massacre (2003)Daily Mirror, KKS Perera, Reflecting… 40th Anniversary of 'Black July': Have We Truly Learned from History? https://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/Reflecting-40th-Anniversary-of-Black-July-Have-We-Truly-Learned-from-History/172-262724Daily News, Being 'in and out' of the UNP Controversial Cyril Mathew Wednesday, December 6, 2017, https://archives1.dailynews.lk/2017/12/06/features/136507/controversial-cyril-mathewThe Week, V.S.Jayaschandran, August 14–20, 1983, Lanka Burns, pp. 16-21L.Piyadasa, 1984, Sri Lanka: The Holocaust and After, London:Marram books, p.81, 86M.S Venkatachalam, 1987, Genocide in Sri Lanka, Delhi:Gian Publishing House, p.67 Thirunelveli massacre Thirunelveli, Jaffna Army Welikada prison massacre Welikada Prison, Colombo Sinhalese prisoners aided by Sinhalese prison guards Sampalthoddam massacre Sampalthoddam, Vavuniya– Army Chunnakam Police station massacre Chunnakam – Police Chunnakam market massacre Chunnakam Air Force Spring 1984 Jaffna massacres - Various places in Jaffna Army Tamil Times, May 1984 - Murders most foul, p.7Tamil Times, April 1984 - Burning and killing to save Buddhism, p2Tamil Times, April 1984 - Lankan army on shooting spree, several killed, women & children included, pp.5-6Tamil Times, June 1984 - Amnesty international on extrajudicial executions in Sri Lanka, pp.1-31984 Vavuniya massacre Vavuniya + Army Tamil Times - September 1984, Mortuary 'overflowing' with dead bodies, p12August 1984 Mannar massacre Mannar Army Tamil Times - September 1984, 5,000 civilians flee, following army rampage, p12Kaithady massacre Kaithady, Jaffna Army Tamil Times - September 1984, 9 killed, 25 injured at Kaithady, p121984 Point Pedro massacre Point Pedro, JaffnaSTF, Army Eelanadu, 3 September 1984, "திக்கம் சம்பவம்: 6 அதிரடிபடை வீரர்கள் பலி! பல வீடுகள், கடைகள் எரிப்பு!!", p.1Tamil Times, September 1984, "Point Pedro devastated — College Library gutted", p.14Saturday Review, 8 September 1984, "Six Commandos Killed", p.1Mallavi junction massacre Mallavi, MullaitivuArmy Tamil Times - October 1984, Tamil travails, p.10Colombo-Jaffna coach massacre Mathawachchi Army The Hindu, S. Parthasarathy, December 1984, Unarmed and under siegeJaffna grand bazaar massacre Jaffna Army Gamini Navaratne (1988) How we beat the bombs and censors in Jaffna, Index on Censorship, 17:4, 26-27, DOI: 10.1080/03064228808534397Jaffna army rampage Jaffna ArmyTamil Times - November 1984, ARMY ATROCITIES ON THE INCREASE RAMPAGE OF MURDER & ARSON, p9Urumpirai killings Urumpirai, Jaffna ArmyMullaitivu massacre Mullaitivu ArmyTamil Times - December 1984, Tamil travails, state terrorism stepped up, p15Jaffna town massacre Jaffna ArmyKasturiar Road/Power House road junction massacre Jaffna Army Saturday Review, 10/11/1984,'No Baila this time, 5 killed, 35 hurt in Army firing' p.8Jaffna-Colombo train shooting of Tamil civilians Meesalai, Jaffnaseveral killed ArmyTamil Times - January 1985, state terrorism: grotesque, ghastly genocide p.14Kopay massacre Kopay, Jaffna ArmyArmy rampage at Chavakachcheri Chavakachcheri, Jaffna ArmyTamil Times - January 1985, state terrorism: grotesque, ghastly genocide p.15Killing of 4 Tamil civilians including a 7 year old boy Jaffna Army Kent and Dollar Farm massacres Kent and Dollar Farms, Vavuniya LTTE December 1984 massacres of Tamils Several places in Northern and Eastern provinces + Armed Forces Tamil Times - December 1984, TAMIL AREAS UNDER SIEGE - 1000s KILLED, MANY MORE ARRESTED, p1 Kokilai massacre Kokilai LTTE Othiyamalai massacre Othiyamalai, Mullaitivu – Army Nedunkerny massacre Nedunkerny, Vavuniya + ArmyTamil Times - December 1984, Wanted for murder, p2Semamadu massacre Semamadu, Vavuniya Army Cheddikulam massacre Cheddikulam, Vavuniya Army Tamil Times - January 1985, 64 killed at Chettikulam, p16 Kumulamunai massacre Kumulamunai, Mullaitivu Army According to pro-rebel NESOHRVavuniya army camp massacre Iratperiyakulam, Vavuniya+ ArmyAmnesty International, September 1986, Pattern of 'Disappearances' as security forces systematically violate human rights Thennamarawadi massacre Thennamarawadi, Trincomalee Army Manal Aru massacre Manal Aru, Mullaitivu + Army Amaravayal massacre Amarivayal, Trincomalee– Army Mannar massacre Murunkan, Mannar– Army Vavuniya massacre Vavuniya ArmyTamil Times - January 1985, state terrorism: grotesque, ghastly genocide p.16Asikulam massacre Asikulam, Vavuniya Government armed mob Massacre of 18 Tamil fishermen Mullaitivu Home GuardsTamil Times - February 1985, state terrorism p.14 Madawachchiya massacre Madawachchiya Home Guards Mullikulam massacre Mullikulam, Mannar Army Kokkilai massacres Several locations, Mullaitivu Army Mulliyavalai massacre Mulliyavalai, Mullaitivu Army Thiriyai massacre Thiriyai, Trincomalee Army Tamil Times - February 1985, state terrorism p.15 Windsor cinema junction massacre Jaffna Several killed Army Muthur massacre22- Muthur, Trincomalee Army Mullaitivu massacre 22- Mullaitivu Army Chemmani road massacre Chemmani road, Jaffna Army Massacre of Tamil family in Vavuniya Vavuniya Army Vankalai church massacre 6 January 1985Vankalai 23Army Vadakkandal massacre Vadakkandal, Mannar Air Force, Army Army rampage in Jaffna town Jaffna ArmyTamil Times - April 1985, state terrorism. - Tamil travails under state terrorism, p.14 Mullaitivu massacre Mullaitivu Army Pannai bridge massacre Jaffna STFTamil Times - May 1985, State terrorism - Bullets for them, dynamite for their houses, p.18 Puthukkudiyiruppu massacre Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaitivu Army Maviddapuram massacre Maviddapuram, Jaffna ArmyTamil Times - April 1985, state terrorism. - Tamil travails under state terrorism, p.16 Mannar massacre Mannar ArmyTamil Times - June 1985, state terrorism, more savaging of Tamils, p.16 Karaitivu massacre Karaitivu, Ampara STFTamil Times - April 1985, Police commandos join in violence, p.1Tamil Times - May 1985, Violence in East Sri Lanka, planned and instigated, p.4 Myliddy massacre Myliddy, Jaffna Army Nelliaddy massacre Nelliaddy, Jaffna Army 1985 anti-Tamil pogrom in Karaitivu Karaitivu, Ampara STF, state sponsored mobsRajan Hoole – The Arrogance of Power, Chapter 20, Section 8, Border Aggression and Civilian Massacres – The East Erupts: Mossad Again? (2001)Police commandos join in violence – Tamil Times, April 1985, p18Some Critical Notes on the Non-Tamil Identity of the Muslims of Sri Lanka, and on Tamil–Muslim Relations – A. R.M. Imtiyaz a & S. R.H. Hoole, South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies (2011), p229-230 Karaveddi massacre Karaveddi, Jaffna District + ArmyTamil Times - June 1985, state terrorism, more savaging of Tamils, p.17 1985 Trincomalee massacres Several places in Trincomalee + Navy, Army,Home Guards Daily Telegraph, 10/6/85, 100s killed in massacre of Tamils, 25,000 homeless Jaffna massacre Jaffna Army Oorani massacre Oorani, Jaffna ArmyTamil Times - May 1985, 30 Tamils blasted with explosives, p.1 Point Pedro massacre Point Pedro, Jaffna + ArmyTamil Times - May 1985, Attack on Sinhala civilians condemned, p.7 Valvettithurai massacre Valvettithurai, Jaffna – Army Anuradhapura massacre/Attack on Sri Maha Bodhi Anuradhapura LTTE Kumudini boat massacre Jaffna Navy Anaikottai massacre Anaikottai, Jaffna ArmyTamil Times - May 1985, More Tamils killed, p.2 Massacre of Tamil civilians in Anuradhapura Anuradhapura ArmyTamil Times - July 1985, State terrorism - gruesome massacre of Tamil civilians, p.16 Massacre of Tamil civilians in Vavuniya Vavuniya Army Massacre of Tamil civilians in Anuradhapura army camp Anuradhapura Army Thambiluvil massacre Thambiluvil, Ampara – Police (STF) Cycles of Violence: Human Rights in Sri Lanka Since the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement, Barnett R. Rubin, December 1987 Massacre of Tamil family in Pankulam Pankulam, Trincomalee District Army Killiveddy massacre Killiveddy, Trincomalee Police Massacre of Tamil civilians in Trincomalee Trincomalee Army Thiriyai massacre Thiriyai, Trincomalee Army Mannar massacre Kokudiyan and Adampanthalvu, Mannar Army Tamil Times - July 1985, The massacre before 'ceasefire', p.7 Karainagar massacre Karainagar, Jaffna NavyTamil Times - August 1985, Navy kill three at bus stop, p.19Sampalthivu massacre 4-9 August 1985Sampalthivu, Trincomalee+Army, Navy, Air Vavuniya shooting spree and arson attacks Vavuniya Police, Sri Lanka Armed Forces 1985 Vavuniya massacre Vavuniya + Army Vayaloor massacre Vayaloor, Kilinochchi Army Murugapuri massacre 8 September 1985Murugapuri TrincomaleeArmy, Home GuardsTamil Times, November 1985, "OPERATION MURUGAPURI", An Eyewitness Account p.17 Thuvarankadu massacre Thuvarankadu, Trincomalee Army Tamil Times, October 1985, Operation Nilaveli: War on refugees, p.10Nilaveli massacre Nilaveli, Trincomalee Army, Home Guards Kalvettu massacre Kalvettu, Ampara Home guards Tamil Times, October 1985, Home guards kill 15 Tamils watching video film, p.11 Sinnawathai massacre Sinnawathai, Batticaloa STF Tamil Times, October 1985, Diary of incidents in Tamil areas, p.20 Aarapathai massacre Aarapathai, Navatkudah, Batticaloa STF Sambaltivu massacre Sambaltivu, Trincomalee Army Piramanthanaru massacre 2 October 1985Piramanthanaru, Kilinochchi Army, Keenie Meenie ServicesOddusuddan massacre 2 October 1985Oddusuddan, Mullaitivu Army Murakkottanchenai massacre Murakkottanchenai, Batticaloa STF 1985 Muttur massacre Muttur, Trincomalee - Army, Navy,Air Force Kantalai massacre Kantalai, Trincomalee Army Tamil Times, February 1986, Army kills six Tamils and loots jewellery, p.6 Batticaloa Lake Road massacre Lake Road, Batticaloa STF Uthayan, 15 December 1985, "மட்டக்களப்பில் கடந்த மாதம் 53 பேர் மரணம்", p.3 Army rampage in Batticaloa Bar Road, Batticaloa-scores killed Army Tamil Times, November 1985, Army on rampage in Batticaloa, p.24 Onthachimadam shooting Onthachimadam, Batticaloa Army Sampur massacre Sampur, Trincomalee Army, Navy, Home guardsTamil Times, January 1986, Mutur burns and bleeds, p.6Tamil Times, February 19