Burning of the Jaffna Public Library

Lead figures

Senior members of Sri Lankan government and military

Tamil political and cultural leaders

Casualties and lossesCasualties (unclear if specific to the event)DeathNone directly attributedInjuriesUnknownArrestedNoneDamageExtensive damage to the library

Buildings destroyed

1 (Jaffna Public Library)DetainedNoneChargedNo formal charges filedFinedNoneCultural and political impactMajor cultural loss, loss of historical records, increased ethnic tensionsThe destruction of the library remains a symbol of ethnic tensions and the Sri Lankan Civil War's impact on Tamil cultural heritage.

The Jaffna Public Library was burned by an organized mob of Sinhalese police and army on the night of 31 May 1981, on the orders of members of the ruling UNP party. The library's burning was one of the most violent examples of ethnically motivated biblioclasm of the 20th century. At the time of its destruction, the library was one of the biggest in Asia, containing over 97,000 books and manuscripts.