Sea Tigers attack the naval base in Galle in an apparent suicide mission. News of the raid sparks rioting in Galle, with shops belonging to the minority Tamil community, residents and police reported.
Timeline of events under "Communal violence" issue
Communal riots follow an explosion in a market in Trincomalee town. The bomb blast and the ensuing riots leave over 20 civilians dead, over 30 shops and 100 homes destroyed by fire and over 3,000 persons displaced and seeking refuge in schools and places of worship.
Members of Tamil and Sinhala communities clash in the East after a grenade attack on a bus leaves one person dead. LTTE denies carrying out the attack.
President Chandrika Kumaratunga offers a 'national apology' to all victims of 'Black July' in a speech commemorating its 21st anniversary.
President Chandrika establishes the ‘Presidential Truth Commission on Ethnic Violence’, looking at ethnic violence that took place between 1981-1984. The Commission reports in September 2002.
27 prisoners, some former child soldiers of the LTTE who had surrendered to the authorities, are killed and another eighteen injured when an estimated 3,000 strong mob attacked the National Youth Services Council rehabilitation camp in Bindunuwewa, Bandarawela.
Anti-Tamil riots break out in parts of Colombo, and later spread to other areas, lasting one week. The riots are in response to the killing of 13 soldiers by the Tamil Tigers in Jaffna. The event is later remembered as 'Black July'. Estimates of Tamil deaths vary from 387 (official figures) to 3,000 Tamils; 18,000 Tamil homes and 5,000 shops were destroyed. Over 100,000 Tamils fled to India. A state of emergency is imposed.
Clashes between Sinhalese and Muslim communities in Galle. Emergency declared and curfew imposed throughout Galle.
District Development Council meeting disrupted in Jaffna by ‘mobs’. Violence lasts until 2 June: destruction of the market area of Jaffna, the office of the Tamil Newspaper, the home of the member of Parliament for Jaffna, and burning of the Jaffna Public Library.
Anti-Tamil riots sparked by the killing of two policemen in Jaffna by Tamil militants. The riots lasted a month, and resulted in an official death toll of 100 and displacement of 25,000 people. The Tamil Refugee Rehabilitation Organization (TRRO) estimated the death toll at 300.
Government Parliamentary Group meets to assess the country situation and the events that led up to the Emergency.
An emergency is declared by the Governor-General. Federal Party leaders are later detained.
Communal riots in Colombo, Jaffna, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Batticaloa, Eravur and Kurunegala during May and June. An estimated 300-400 killed, over 2,000 incidents of arson, looting and assault, and 12,000 'Ceylonese' (Tamils) displaced from the riots.
Campaign in response to the ‘anti Sri’ campaign begins: extremist elements reciprocate with the ‘tarring’ of Tamil name boards in Colombo and elsewhere.
Tamils in the north and east observe a 'hartal': shops are closed and work stops in protest against the deaths of two Tamils who were killed during the police response to an earlier demonstration.
