A gutted building that is near the beach on Mount Lavinia has been an eyesore for the last 33 years. It was once the Tilly's Beach Hotel, which was owned by a Tamil businessman.
The hotel was a favourite among residents of Colombo as well as German and Russian tourists. Colomboites would enjoy the Sunday Lunch Table Buffet, while many tourists had a mad crush on the handsome head chef, a culinary genius who understood Russian and German besides his native Tamil, Sinhalese and English.
Tilly's was set on fire during the 1983 Colombo genocide of Tamils, which was the handiwork of racist criminal politician Cyril Matthew. The man handed voter's lists to organised mobs, so they could hunt down Tamils. This was the exact same blueprint used in riots in neighbouring India in the 1980s and 90s.
The hotel was evacuated of its staff and occupants before a mob set it on fire.
When I asked a local about the building a few years ago, he told me the story about how the riots in Black July quickly spread to Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and that the building was one of the first targets of the rioters (basically local criminals backed by the UNP government).
While the police turned a blind eye in many parts of Colombo in those days, W.A. Samarawickrema, Senior Superintendent of the Mount Lavinia Police had his force open fire on the rioters. The police force was overwhelmed by the mob that had the backing of the army. Army officers who were trained in Sandhurst and Dehra Dun lost their sense of discipline and encouraged and assisted the mobs.
The building sits on prime land and many developers have been trying to seize it, but the Sri Lankan government wants to return it either to the owner or his heirs. I have heard many stories about the owner. Some say he was murdered in 1983 and had no surviving family members. Others say he lives in Canada or the UK, and is not keen to set foot in Sri Lanka again.
Maybe it is better that the building stands there as a memorial to one of the most shameful episodes in Sri Lankan history.
Please note:
The events of 1983 in Colombo were shameful and disgusting, but I cannot mention them without writing about by best Sri Lankan friend, a Sinhalese man, who risked his life by taking a Tamil colleague and his mother in his car and then to his home in Nugegoda.
When the mobs came to his house, he lied and said that there were no Tamils there. If they found the mother and son, they would have murdered my friend and his family as well.
The Tamil family went to India as refugees and then moved to Canada. Every month, the mother calls my friend from Canada and talks to him. Such is her gratitude. There were several cases of Sinhalese and Burgher families risking their lives to save their Tamil friends. The Tamil community has picked up the pieces and thrives in Colombo now, and is among the wealthiest in the country.
The hotel was a favourite among residents of Colombo as well as German and Russian tourists. Colomboites would enjoy the Sunday Lunch Table Buffet, while many tourists had a mad crush on the handsome head chef, a culinary genius who understood Russian and German besides his native Tamil, Sinhalese and English.
Tilly's was set on fire during the 1983 Colombo genocide of Tamils, which was the handiwork of racist criminal politician Cyril Matthew. The man handed voter's lists to organised mobs, so they could hunt down Tamils. This was the exact same blueprint used in riots in neighbouring India in the 1980s and 90s.
The hotel was evacuated of its staff and occupants before a mob set it on fire.
When I asked a local about the building a few years ago, he told me the story about how the riots in Black July quickly spread to Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and that the building was one of the first targets of the rioters (basically local criminals backed by the UNP government).
While the police turned a blind eye in many parts of Colombo in those days, W.A. Samarawickrema, Senior Superintendent of the Mount Lavinia Police had his force open fire on the rioters. The police force was overwhelmed by the mob that had the backing of the army. Army officers who were trained in Sandhurst and Dehra Dun lost their sense of discipline and encouraged and assisted the mobs.
The building sits on prime land and many developers have been trying to seize it, but the Sri Lankan government wants to return it either to the owner or his heirs. I have heard many stories about the owner. Some say he was murdered in 1983 and had no surviving family members. Others say he lives in Canada or the UK, and is not keen to set foot in Sri Lanka again.
Maybe it is better that the building stands there as a memorial to one of the most shameful episodes in Sri Lankan history.
Please note:
The events of 1983 in Colombo were shameful and disgusting, but I cannot mention them without writing about by best Sri Lankan friend, a Sinhalese man, who risked his life by taking a Tamil colleague and his mother in his car and then to his home in Nugegoda.
When the mobs came to his house, he lied and said that there were no Tamils there. If they found the mother and son, they would have murdered my friend and his family as well.
The Tamil family went to India as refugees and then moved to Canada. Every month, the mother calls my friend from Canada and talks to him. Such is her gratitude. There were several cases of Sinhalese and Burgher families risking their lives to save their Tamil friends. The Tamil community has picked up the pieces and thrives in Colombo now, and is among the wealthiest in the country.
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