Talk:Black July/Archive 2

Accuracy of the article
I'm not 100 percent sure about what exactly happened but based on the UTHR report linked to on this article, the statement that "The murder, looting and raping lasted well over 2 weeks while the Sri Lankan government stood by doing nothing to arrest the situation. It was a stern warning from the Indian government, then headed by Indira Gandhi, that prompted the government to eventually clamp down on the mayhem." appears incorrect.


 * 1) According to the UTHR the massacres killing mainly occurred on the 25th of July and quote " The pogrom continued less intensely in Greater Colombo for three more days". So the 2 weeks statement is incorrect.
 * 2) The government imposed a curfew after 24 hours so the government inaction bit is incorrect.
 * 3) I also can't find any credible reports of rape in any of the cited websites. Murder and looting yes. But I can't find anything about rape. Correct me if I'm wrong though.
 * 4) I also haven't found anything about an Indian warning "prompting the government to eventually clamp down on the mayhem"

I'm not making any changes yet cos I just want to know if anyone else has any opinions on this.

I also have to say the "Government Complicity" section cites no sources what-so-ever and seems quite POV. Unless credible sources are cited I think it should either be labeled POV or removed completely. --snowolfd4 11:32, 24 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Hi Snowolfd4, I added the citation needed tag for the 2 weeks. Leave it for a few days to see if someone comes up with a reputable source. If not feel free to put the actual UTHR figure. About the rapes, if it is unverified after few days can delete that. Ruchiraw 16:37, 25 July 2006 (UTC)


 * I dont kno whether you ever lived through it or not but I did. I saw civilians still getting killed after the curfew was imposed and the millitary and the police did absolutely nothing.''


 * Again, number of letters and articles were published on The Hindu newspaper in 1983 October that reported rapes. That was before the invention of the internet and website so these articles are in micro film archives.''


 * Again these have to be retrived from microfilm archives''


 * Well my point of view is this article so far is very pithy and not detailed enough. It is goinfg to be one of my projects to update this article after I am done with writing about the 1958, 1977 pogorams' My notes in ItalicRaveenS 12:40, 25 July 2006 (UTC)

First of all please please don't make edits within my edits cos that really confuses things. So I've moved your edits to the end of what I've said.

About the duration of the massacres what I'm saying is (like I said above) the article says they went on for 2 weeks but according to the UTHR report it was more like 4 days. So basically the article is incorrect there and should be corrected. That is unless you can find credible proof that it really did go on for 2 weeks and the UTHR report is incorrect.

About the rape and Indian government bits, maybe true, maybe not. I honestly don't know. But the fact is unless you can find credible articles (from the BBC, AHRC etc.), it's really hearsay isn't it? And this is Wikipedia. It's supposed to be about the strict facts only. No POV. Biased or otherwise.

So I think unless someone can actually cite credible sources these bits shouldn't be included in a potentially controversial article like this. --snowolfd4 16:09, 25 July 2006 (UTC)

Added photos section
As most of the violence took place before the digital era many are pictures taken by news papers.Like the Ethiopian Jews article I have created a link for such photos instead of uploading them here.Huracane 14:03, 25 July 2006 (UTC)

Ethnic clashes in 1960's and 1970's
I haven't heard of any such clashes in 1960's and 1970's. Please cite sources Ruchiraw 16:35, 25 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Do a google search an anti-tamil riots of 1977 or else read.

That is one riot as in singular. I cant find credible references for more than this. I am altering this to singular until anyone can find a credible reference. Ruchiraw 04:10, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

Reference section
With all the citation sourced so far this article is becoming better by Wikipedia standrads, hence we need to properly list all the refrences like any other articles would beRaveenS 17:11, 25 July 2006 (UTC)


 * As quite a few people have said above, the sources cited really have to be credible. I've never heard of a "Social Studies Circle of the Sri Lankan Worker-Peasant Institute". And the Tamilnation.com and sangam.org links are pretty obviously biased. Posting links to these articles really defeats the point of keeping Wikipedia unbiased.


 * So if anyone is citing sources please make sure they're credible.


 * And until someone can put forward any credible citations for the "Government Complicity" section I'm labeling it POV. --snowolfd4 21:22, 25 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Removed POV because I have added a source, although the source is from www.Tamilcanadian.com, it is not the primary source, it is compilation of all the newspaper articles, hence it is acceptable source per Wiki policyHuracane 13:11, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

Referencing this article using Wikinotes
I need help with to reference this better RaveenS


 * I have not done it before, but dont mind learning it because thsi requires. All this disputes are actually making thsi article better. I am gald for it.Huracane 13:11, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

Relationship to other riots
I have tagged this section with POV and Factual as I find no evidence that multiple race riots occurred in 1970's

What does the following mean, that S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike organised these riots. please take some care when editing, the meanings not clear


 * Of the series of events, the most notable one apart from the Black July event happened in 1958 under the leadership of Sinhala nationalist prime minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike husband and father of Sri Lankan prime ministers Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Chandrika Kumaratunga.

The following sentences are stongly POV and have not been supported by references.


 * Historians note it was the timely action of part Tamil Chief of Staff Brigadier Mutucumaru that saved the life of many Tamil civilians in the face of inaction by then government, very reminiscent of what happened in 1983.


 * It has been reported that Vellupillai Prabhakaran, leader of the LTTE, became convinced of the need for armed struggle for Tamil independence from Sri Lanka because of the massacres and rapes in the 1958 riots.[citation needed].

Ruchiraw 04:26, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

No original reasearch please
I've got nothing agaisnt what 82.110.221.72 wrote, but please note Wikipedia Policy that no original reasearch should be published. (WP:NOR). So I removed that bit. --snowolfd4 09:25, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

Reliable Soucres please
Before anyone starts citing websites such as tamilnation.com and sangam.org and please read Wikipedia policy on Reliable sources WP:RS. And I'll say again "as quite a few people have said above, the sources cited really have to be credible.". Such as BBC or amnesty internationational etc.

So I'm relabling it POV and also Weasel (WP:WEASEL) --snowolfd4 14:28, 26 July 2006 (UTC)


 * I think you have a problem here, not the article you keep changing the goals, if Tamilcanadian is not realiable then so be it but not the entire article. If you keep doing this instead discussing the points which are in question you will be reported as a potential Vandal to admin. RaveenS 14:41, 26 July 2006 (UTC)


 * RaveenS, I don't understand why you say snowolfd4 is a vandal. Please direct me to the appropriate wikipedia page which says applying NPOV to a biased article/section is vandalism Ruchiraw 15:17, 26 July 2006 (UTC)


 * I removed the Tamil Canadian link for thetime being any way so the weasel here has no leg to stand onHuracane 15:11, 26 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Hi Huracane, Please don't make personal references like weasel. Ruchiraw 15:17, 26 July 2006 (UTC)