News report on conflict of sri lanka wei xuan 36

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The ethnic conflict between the Sinhalese and Tamils in Sri Lanka has a history spanning more than 100 years. It began when Sri Lanka was under the British colonial rule, as resentment was created when the Tamil minority was privileged over the Sinhalese for jobs and educational opportunities. The reversed happened when Sri Lanka became independent in 1948, as the Sri Lanka government passed the Ceylon Citizenship Act and the 'Sinhala Only' Official Language Act, making life increasingly difficult for the Tamils. Ethnic violence erupted during the 1950s and 1960s as a result of the perceived unfair treatment. Further unhappiness was caused with the introduction of new and more stringent university admission criteria for Tamils after 1970 to limit their enrolment in university, as well as the resettlement policy implemented during the 1950s, when Sinhalese peasants, and even the Sri Lanka Army moved in and took over areas occupied by Tamils. The unjust treatment of Tamils was the impetus for the formation of the Tamil United Liberation Front, a new political party created to fight for Tamil rights. Out of this arose the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ,a youth militant group who adopted violence as a means to achieve their goal - to have a separate and independent Tamil state.

In 1948, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) enjoyed the highest literacy rate in Asia. It did not have the problem of over-population; its educational and transportation systems were advanced. For some years, Ceylon was a model for the world. But, today, it is an island known for its problems, and its reputation as a killing field only matched by that of countries such as Rwanda.

- Adapted from a comment by an editor of a Tamil newspaper in 2003.

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When Sri Lanka gained independence in 1948, the Sri Lankan government passed the Ceylon Citizenship Act of 1948. This act granted citizenship only to those either born in Sri Lanka or those whose forefathers were born there. As a result, many Tamils found themselves stateless. Though they had lived in Sri Lanka for many years, the Indian Tamils did not have basic rights like education,jobs, housing and voting. However, they continued to work on the tea plantations and contributed significantly to the Sri Lankan economy. The Tamils felt resentful because they were not allowed a say in the running of the country even though they contributed economically to it. Being denied voting rights meant that they could not vote for politicians who could restore their rights and improve their lives. And by being denied education and housing, they were condemned to live their lives in poverty and suffering. The oppression they suffered led them to use violent means in order to reclaim their rights.

Factor: Citizenship Rights

Factor: ‘Sinhala Only’ Policy When Sri Lanka was under British rule, English-educated Tamils could enter government service and be promoted. They occupied some of the most powerful jobs in the government service although they were the minority in the country. The Sinhalese, although the majority, were disadvantaged because they could not read and write well in English. After Sri Lanka achieved independence, English remained the official language. However, in 1956, Sinhala was declared the country’s official language under the Official Language Act and used as the language of administration in Sri Lanka. Tamils in the government were given three years to learn Sinhala or be dismissed. They were upset as they found it difficult to find jobs or be promoted. The sudden change in the language policy caught the Tamils off-guard and made them feel that it was a deliberate attempt by the Sinhalese government to humiliate them and force them to quit their civil service jobs. This led to rising tensions between both ethnic groups which might have led to conflict.

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Factor: ‘Sinhala Only’ Policy

Example of how Sinhala, Tamil and English are used in an official document such as an application form for citizenship

Languages Spoken By People In Sri Lanka

Factor: University Admission Criteria Before 1970, university admission was based on merit and the examinations were in English. This policy benefited the English-educated Tamils and they scored well in examinations. The proportion of Tamils admitted to university was significantly higher that their proportion in the population. After 1970, the government introduced new university admission criteria. Tamil students had to score higher marks than Sinhalese students to enter the same courses in universities. A fixed number of places were also reserved for the Sinhalese. Admission was no longer based solely on academic results. When the Tamils were deprived of higher education, they were not able to find gainful employment or land prestigious jobs. This denied them of any opportunity of improving their social and economic status in Sri Lankan society. This made them resent the Sinhalese.



Factor: Resettlement

This policy aimed to provide land for poor Sinhalese peasants to live on and cultivate rice. The Buiddhist monks and the Sri Lankan army (mainly Sinhalese) also came from the densely populated south-western and central areas to occupy the homeland of the Tamils in the northern and eastern part of Sri Lanka. Therefore, the resettlement of Sinhalese to the Tamil-populated region caused conflict in Sri Lanka because it created a lot of resentment amongst the Tamils. Many of them were left with little land and thus less food to survive on. Due to such blatant disregard for their land, the Tamils felt justifiable to support the Tamil Tigers to go against the government.



Consequences Of The Conflict

Consequences: Armed Conflict In 1978, a new political party called the Tamil United Liberation Front emerged. IT called for a separate independent state called Tamil Eelam. Their members believed that only separation from Sri Lanka would ensure the rights of the Tamils. When the Sri Lankan government rejected their demands, some Tamil youths decided to form a militant group called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). This was a terrorist group which used violence to attack Tamil members of the police force, Tamils who supported the ruling party, Tamil politicians who did not support the proposed independent state and the Sinhalese. In response, the Sinhalese held anti-Tamil riots in which thousands of Tamils lost their lives and property. The most serious of these riots occurred in 1983, when thousands of Tamils fled to Tamil Nadu in southern India, forcing the Indian government to intervene. Hence, armed conflict is a serious consequence of conflict because it led to loss of many lives and created intense hostility, hatred and distrust amongst the Tamils and Sinhalese.



Consequences: Foreign Intervention The ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka attracted the intervention of a third party, India. At first India tried to play the role of a mediator in response to the 1983 riots. However, attempts to get both the Tamils and Sinhalese to come to an agreement on certain issues failed. Then in 1987, the Indian government sent a flotilla of 20 Indian ships to Jaffna to send food and petroleum products to the Tamils. When they were turned back by the Sri Lankan navy, the Air Force dropped food and medical supplies in Jaffna the following day. By doing so, it violated the Sri Lankan airspace. In July 1987, under pressure from India, Sri lanka agreed to sign a peace accord with India. There was to be ceasefire between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan forces. However, in 1987, when the Tamil Tigers failed to fully surrender their weapons, the Indian troops took control of the Tiger-controlled Jaffna by force. Most of the clashes after that were mostly between the Tamil Tigers and the Indian peacekeeping forces in the North and East of Sri Lanka. Finally, the peacekeeping forces were withdrawn in 1990. Hence, foreign intervention is a serious consequence because it intensifies the armed struggle even further through the presence of foreign troops. Instead of saving laves, the peacekeeping forces increased the death toll due to clashes with the Tamil Tigers, hence throwing the country into greater chaos.

Signing Of The Peace Accord In July 1987. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi Of India (Left) and President P. Jayewardene Of Sri Lanka ( Right)



Thousands of factory workers, self-employed persons and plantation workers lost their jobs. Many of these people were breadwinners of their families. A large number of the jobless were the Sinhalese who took part in vandalizing, looting and burning of their places of work such as garment factories. With the ongoing instability in the country, foreign investors did not have any confidence to invest in Sri Lanka. As a result, investment fell from US$66 million in 1982 to US$39 million in 1986. Lastly, the internal conflict also deters tourists from coming into Sri Lanka, especially after the 1983 riots. This resulted in loss of jobs and earnings. There were less funds to

Sri Lankan Refugees: The conflict caused more than 200, 000 Sinhalese and Tamils to migrate and work abroad as migrant workers due to the conflict. More than 1 million Tamils had been displaced and 64, 000 has died in the conflict. There was also a serious problem of malnutrition and poverty in Sri Lanka. More than 50% of the population earned less than US$2 a day. Social services are also inadequate and many schools are run-down and universities do not have sufficient facilities.

Consequences: Social Impact

A Refugee Camp in Sri Lanka

Tamil Refugee Fleeing

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News report on conflict of sri lanka wei xuan 36