A History Of Ethnic Conflict In Sri Lanka The Media And The Ethnic Conflict In Sri Lanka

Academic Paper from the year 2021 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Region: South Asia, University of Peradeniya, course: Multiculturalism, language: English, abstract: This article intends to examine the root causes of ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, and methods that can be used to resolve it. For 40 years, in Sri Lanka, the ethnic conflict became an aggravating issue because of their diversity. It means Sri Lankan society has consisted of various kinds of cultures, religions, ethnicities, races, and languages. This article will determine the nature of the ethnic conflict and what we can do to prevent this type of conflict. Although in 2009, the civil war had been ended by Sri Lankan Government, there is no efficient reconciliation process among the Sri Lankans. As a result of that situation, from time to time, ethnic conflicts have arisen. On the other hand, it became commodious destruction to the development process of Sri Lanka. Therefore, this study helps to conceive the gravity of this ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka.

Concerns the treatment of the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka.

The book provides a detailed historically-based analysis of the origin, evolution and potential resolution of the civil conflict in Sri Lanka over the struggle to establish a separate state in its Northern and Eastern provinces. This conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the secessionist LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) is one of the world’s most intractable contemporary armed struggles. The internationally banned LTTE is considered the prototype of modern terrorism. It is known to have introduced suicide bombing to the world, and recently became the first terrorist organization ever to acquire an air force. The ‘iron law of ethnicity’ – the assumption that cultural difference inevitably leads to conflict – has been reinforced by the 9/11 attacks and conflicts like the one in Sri Lanka. However, the connections among ethnic difference, conflict, and terrorism are not automatic. This book broadens the discourse on the separatist conflict in Sri Lanka by moving beyond the familiar bipolar Sinhala versus Tamil ethnic antagonism to show how the form and content of ethnicity are shaped by historical social forces. It develops a multipolar analysis which takes into account diverse ethnic groups, intra-ethnic, social class, caste and other variables at the local, regional and international levels. Overall, this book presents a conceptual framework useful for comparative global conflict analysis and resolution, shedding light on a host of complex issues such as terrorism, civil society, diasporas, international intervention and secessionism.

Essay from the year 2020 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Region: South Asia, grade: 80%, University of St. Gallen, course: Politics of Religion in South Asia, language: English, abstract: “Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.” Words were written by Ernest Hemingway depicting the vile nature of war, while strengthening the narrative that war is groundless. Much like Hemingway, many others also share the same view on the atrocious aspects of war itself. Warfare has been witnessed in all parts of the world for centuries. Through the study of history, we are aware of the evolution of methods of warfare. International humanitarian law has helped guide nations to “legitimately” conduct acts of war against others. The toughest pill to swallow though, however obvious, is that one aspect of war will always be inevitable – the casualties. This consequently results in the majority view that war is good for nothing. Then the vital question that must be addressed is that if the effects of violence constitute more harm than good, why is it an available option for nations to resort to? Furthermore, why does the law of war differ for state and non-state actors? In this essay, I would like to examine the conditional nature of war within the international sphere by paying close attention to the Sri Lankan Civil War (1983-2009) as an example to portray the disparities of armed conflict between state and non-state actors, and how the view of such acts are deemed differently through the use of the “Just War” theory.

Crucible of Conflict is an ethnographic and historical study of Hindu castes, matrilineal family structure, popular religious traditions, and ethnic conflict. It is also the first full-length ethnography of Sri Lanka’s east coast, an area that suffered heavily in the 2004 tsunami and that is of vital significance to the political future of the island nation. Since the bitter guerrilla war for an independent Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka broke out in 1983, the easternmost region of the island has emerged as a strategic site of conflict. Dennis B. McGilvray argues that any long-term resolution of the ethnic conflict must accommodate this region, in which Sinhalese Buddhists, Tamil Hindus, and Tamil-speaking Muslims are each a significant share of the population. McGilvray explores the densely populated farming and fishing settlements in this coastal zone, focusing on the Tamil and Muslim inhabitants of an agricultural town in the Ampara District. Drawing on fieldwork conducted over more than thirty years as well as on Tamil and Dutch historical sources, he describes the regional dominance of a non-Brahmin matrilineal caste of thirteenth-century Kerala origin. The Muslims, who acquired dowry lands and matrilineal family patterns through local intermarriages, have in the twentieth century emerged from Hindu caste domination and are now the Tamil Hindus’ political and economic equals. Crucible of Conflict offers a uniquely detailed account of Muslim kinship and community organization in eastern Sri Lanka, as well as a comparison of Tamil and Muslim practices and institutions. McGilvray concludes with an analysis of the interethnic tensions and communal violence that have intensified in recent years.

Seminar paper from the year 2011 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Region: South Asia, grade: 82%, McGill University, course: Political Change in South Asia, language: English, abstract: Sri Lanka has only recently survived a civil war.Though the conflict is over, questions still arise over whether the country has genuinely facilitated the process of reconstruction and reconciliation of ties across its different ethnic communities. Where are the origins of the Sinhala-Tamil conflict? This essay will strive to analyze the different socio-ecoonmic, historical and political factors, which have influenced Sinhala-Tamil relations and determined the path of Sri Lanka in the last three decades.