Old wounds, fresh probes

On October 12, 2026, a group of 51 government MPs suggested a parliamentary select committee (PSC) investigation into the 1983 anti-Tamil violence, also known as Black July. This proposal emerged shortly after a private member’s motion from Democratic Tamil National Alliance MP Selvam Adaikalanathan called for a Presidential Commission of Inquiry.

The government argued that the PSC would be a more effective tool for accountability and reconciliation. However, previous investigations have not resulted in comprehensive, independent outcomes, leaving questions unanswered for over four decades. The ruling party's ability to manipulate such committees has been a concern, as demonstrated by the 2012 case involving the Chief Justice.

The current JVP-led government should have initiated the probe much earlier. The Jayewardene government falsely accused the JVP, Communist Party, and Nava Sama Samaja Party, proscribing them, preventing their return to the political scene. The JVP's own violent campaign and the subsequent counter-terrorism operations claimed thousands of lives, requiring further investigation.

The government has promised to probe the Batalanda torture chamber but has yet to address the extrajudicial execution of its own leader, Rohana Wijeweera, in 1989. The police have acted decisively in individual cases, but the 1990 massacre of police remains uninvestigated, raising questions about the government's commitment to truth and accountability.

Any future PSC probe should focus on the shortcomings of previous investigations, their recommendations' implementation, potential fresh evidence, and practical steps to address the ongoing demand for justice.