COLOMBO, Oct. 9 -- Fifty-one government MPs have called for a parliamentary select committee to investigate the anti-Tamil violence of July 1983, known as Black July, and recommend further action to Parliament.

The proposal, signed by the MPs and submitted to Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih, seeks a comprehensive examination of the events surrounding the riots.

The move came during a debate on a private member's motion by MP Selvam Adaikkalanathan, calling for a Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate the violence.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and opposition MP Dayasiri Jayasekara backed the motion, urging members of the Sinhala community to apologize to the Tamil people for the violence.

However, Justice Minister Harshana...