Forty-two years after the violence of Black July, Sri Lanka continues to live in the shadow of unacknowledged violence that shattered the lives of thousands of Tamil families. Homes were burned, livelihoods destroyed, and innocent lives lost. Starting from Colombo, the riots and violence spread countrywide. Hundreds of innocent people were killed. Tens of thousands displaced. But there has still been no full accounting, no official truth, no justice, and no assurance that it will not happen again. The National Peace Council (NPC) marks this anniversary not only to mourn the victims, but to affirm that there can be no lasting reconciliation without first confronting the past and finding a political solution that addresses the roots of the problem.