1981 anti-Tamil pogrom

{{Infobox civilian attack

| title = 1981 anti-Tamil pogrom

| image = LocationSriLanka.png

| caption = Location of Sri Lanka

| location = Sri Lanka

| coordinates =

| target = Primarily Sri Lankan Tamil and Indian Tamil civilians

| date = June, July, August 1981

| time =

| timezone =

| type = Pogrom, ethnic cleansing, mass murder, arson

| fatalities = 25Brian Eads - The Cover Up That Failed - The Prohibited Report From Colombo, London Observer - 20 September 1981

| perps = Sinhalese mobs, UNP, Sri Lankan government, Sri Lanka PoliceBrian Eads - The Cover Up That Failed - The Prohibited Report From Colombo, London Observer - 20 September 1981

| susperps =

| weapons = Knives, clubs, iron rods, fire

}}

The 1981 anti-Tamil pogrom occurred in Sri Lanka during the months of June, July and August 1981. Organised Sinhala mobs looted and burnt Tamil shops and houses in Jaffna, Ratnapura, Balangoda, Kahawatte, Colombo and in the border villages in the Batticaloa and Amparai districts.T.Sabaratnam, Pirapaharan Vol 1. (2003) Chapter 25.Brian Eads - The Cover Up That Failed - The Prohibited Report From Colombo, London Observer - 20 September 1981 Further looting, arson and killings then spread to the rural interior:

{{Quote

|text="In the hill country, crowds armed with clubs, iron rods, bicycle chains, swords and knives roamed the estates burning, pillaging, looting and killing. Police and army units stood watching, often encouraging the rioters. In the eastern border villages, entire villages were burnt down. People ran into the forests to save their lives. They then took refuge in government schools and Hindu temples. Over 25,000 Tamil plantation workers were rendered homeless in the hills and over 10,000 villagers were made refugees in the east.”T.Sabaratnam, Pirapaharan Vol 1. (2003) Chapter 25.}}

Brian Eads in the London Observer of 20 September 1981 reported that an orgy of arson and looting was planned, orchestrated and carried out in Jaffna by the predominantly Sinhalese Buddhist police force in the area.Brian Eads - The Cover Up That Failed - The Prohibited Report From Colombo, London Observer - 20 September 1981

During the violence the Jaffna public library was burned, as well as the offices of a Tamil newspaper, and the home of a Tamil MP.Brian Eads - The Cover Up That Failed - The Prohibited Report From Colombo, London Observer - 20 September 1981 The violence was said to have been organized by members of the ruling United National Party.Brian Eads - The Cover Up That Failed - The Prohibited Report From Colombo, London Observer - 20 September 1981 In all, 25 people died, scores of women were raped, and thousands were made homeless, losing all their meager belongings.Brian Eads - The Cover Up That Failed - The Prohibited Report From Colombo, London Observer - 20 September 1981