The Tamil Observance of Black Day in Sri Lanka (1990–2025) Executive Summary The observance of February 4th as "Black Day" by the Tamil community in Sri Lanka constitutes a significant socio-political phenomenon that challenges the state’s narrative of post-colonial independence. Since 1948, the Sri Lankan state has celebrated this date as a milestone of liberation from British rule. Conversely, for the Tamil minority, the transition represented the handover of power from a colonial administration to a centralized, Sinhala-dominated unitary state that systematically marginalized minority rights. 1 This dossier provides an evidence-based briefing on the evolution of Black Day from 1990 to 2025, detailing the timeline of grievances, the role of civil society organizations such as the Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappearances (ARED) and the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF), and the persistent institutional failures regarding accountability and land rights...