Marking the 31st anniversary of Black July, an anti-Tamil pogram that saw over 3000 Tamils killed by state-sponsored Sinhala mobs, the US based advocacy group, USTPAC, stressed that violence against Tamils continues in the North-East where Tamils live under occupation.

“Black July was a watershed event that signaled to the Tamils that they would have only a subservient place in a Sri Lanka ruled by the majority Sinhala Buddhists, for their exclusive benefit,” said USTPAC President, Dr Karunyan Arulanantham.

"Tamil lands are expropriated, Tamils are denied the right to mourn their dead, Tamil children and women are raped with impunity, all while an ex-military governor appointed by the president holds executive authority and the largest military per capita in Asia is stationed in the traditional Tamil homelands," he added.
 
“Tamils and non-Sinhala Buddhist communities in the island cannot hope for justice from the Government of Sri Lanka. Their hope lies in the International community and its desire to see decency prevail in all countries of the world,” Dr Arulanantham concluded.

Drawing attention to the recent anti-Muslim riots by Sinhala mobs led by Buddhist monks, USTPC said in a statement released on July 30:

"Tamils this year will also sadly remember that the attitude and mindset of the Sinhala Buddhist majority in that country that made Black July possible still prevails, and now targets not only the Tamils, but also the Muslim, Christian and Hindu communities in the island. Sinhala Buddhist mobs, led by Buddhist monks and with the tacit support of the police and armed forces, destroyed Muslim property and killed four Muslims with impunity in the violence in June in Aluthgama."

See full statement here.