A private member’s motion has been submitted to Parliament calling for the appointment of a Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the 1983 ‘Black July’ ethnic violence and the killings at Welikada Prison, with the aim of establishing the truth, assessing damages caused, and putting forward recommendations to prevent such incidents from recurring.
The motion, presented by TELO Leader and Member of Parliament Selvam Adaikkalanathan, has been listed under P. 132/2026 on the Order Paper of Parliament dated Friday, 11 September 2026.
The motion states that national integration, social structure and the economy suffered serious setbacks as a result of the Black July violence and the Welikada Prison killings. It notes that thousands of people lost their lives, tens of thousands were displaced, and considerable property, including homes and businesses, was destroyed.
The motion further points out that more than forty years on, those responsible for the violence have still not been identified, and that no comprehensive and independent investigation has been carried out into the human rights violations and property damage that occurred at the time.
The motion emphasises the timely need to build lasting harmony among all communities in Sri Lanka and to ensure that ethnic conflict of this nature never recurs in the country.
It calls on Parliament to appoint a fully empowered Presidential Commission of Inquiry tasked with uncovering the complete truth surrounding the events of 1983, accurately assessing the damage caused, and presenting policy recommendations to the government aimed at preventing a repeat of such violence in future.