User:Krankman/Sri Lanka

History

The two largest ethnic groups in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) are the predominantly Buddhist Sinhalese and the predominantly Hindu Tamils. For over 2,000 years several Sinhalese and Tamil kingdoms existed, over long periods of time simultaneously. Contrary to the notion of the two ethnicities being arch-enemies, these kingdoms for the longest time existed in peaceful coexistence and had a lively cultural exchange. In this aspect it is relevant that the two groups are not too far apart from a religious point of view: Firstly, the Sinhalese pagan religion practised along with Buddhism has always contained many Hindu elements; secondly, for many centuries a large portion of the Tamils used to be Buddhists (testified at least for the area of Tamil Nadu).

The Tamils of Sri Lanka are divided into Sri Lankan Tamils and Indian Tamils who were brought into the island by the British in the 19th century as plantation workers; the Indian Tamils are located in the central mountains of the country whereas the Sri Lankan Tamils predominantly live in the Northern and Eastern parts. Often the history of Indian Tamils is confused with that of Tamils in Sri Lanka in general, which then leads to the erroneous conclusion that Tamils came to Sri Lanka only in the 1800s. The current civil war is fought only with the Sri Lankan Tamils.

Early Sinhala-Tamil conflicts

The most important historical conflicts existed between the Sinhalese kingdoms and Tamil states of South India, especially the Cholas, who over long periods of time ruled large parts of the island. Today, Sinhalese nationalists often refer to the story of prince Dutugemunu from the Southern kingdom of Ruhuna which is told in the Buddhist chronicles: In the 2nd century B.C. he attacked and defeated the South Indian king Elara, who ruled in Anuradhapura, to end the Tamil reign. In citing this story, an important fact is often omitted: Elara, although a Hindu, was (e.g. according to the Mahavamsa) a just ruler who was accessible to the people and who respected the Buddhist religion of his Sinhalese subjects. Scholars today think that Dutugemunu’s war had only little to do with ethnicity or religion and that the story was changed in the course of time by Buddhist authors, with the aim to create a Sinhalese-Buddhist national identity and an according national hero.

Colonial period

When the European colonial powers entered the stage in the 1500s, there were three kingdoms in Ceylon, namely the two Sinhalese-Buddhist ones in Kandy and Kotte and the Tamil-Hindu one in Jaffna. Under Portuguese and Dutch rule, these three remained independent entities; after the British had conquered the Kandy kingdom in 1815, they unified the three into one single unit of administration called “Ceylon”. Under the British, Tamils were predominantly employed in the administration owing partly to their better education, but mainly in the sense of a divide et impera policy. Thus the Tamils were associated with British colonial rule by the majority Sinhalese. The British administration got many Indian Tamils into the island to work in the tea plantations which raised the percentage of Tamils of the overall population from about 12 to 18. As early as 1840, tensions due to the difference of faith were recorded.

Development since independence

After independence, which was voluntarily granted by the British parliament on February 4th 1948, the UNP (United National Party) was the governing party. It was initially not a party of a specific political or ideological orientation but an association of westernised members of the upper class demanding an independent government, who were Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims alike. In 1948 and 1949, laws creating dissent within the party were passed to expatriate the Indian Tamils who at that time had been living in the country for more than 100 years. Thence there were splittings and formations of new parties catering to the different ethnic groups, for example the Sinhalese-nationalist SLFP (Sri Lanka Freedom Party).

"Sinhala only"

For some time, a "Sinhala only"-movement had been evolving from Buddhist groups. Its motivation initially was not so much the conflict of Sinhalese against Tamils as fighting the supremacy of English and that of (Sinhala and Tamil) Christians in education and administration.

The SLFP won the parliamentary elections of 1956 with the slogan "Sinhala only", carried by a wave of Sinhalese nationalist feeling supported by the “Buddha Jayanthi”, the 2,500 year-anniversary of the Buddha’s attainment of Nirvana. The consequent SLFP government’s policy aimed at a “Sinhalisation” of the island. In the following years and decades, there was repeated rioting against Tamils which triggered growing resistance, initially with Tamil students.

1956 - 1983

Important events

1956: Official Language Act makes Sinhala the only official language
1957: “Shri conflict” about Sinhala letters on motor vehicle number plates
1958: Pogroms following the reciprocal painting over of signs (ca. 400 Tamils killed); consequently the Tamil Language Act (allowing the “reasonable use” of Tamil in areas predominantly inhabited by Tamils)
from 1970: Discrimination against Tamils in the education system (adjustments to the test score necessary to be allowed into natural sciences studies at universities for Tamils, with the goal of achieving a quota of students equivalent to their percentage of the population)
1972: “Shri Lanka” becomes official name of the country, which is perceived as being pro-Buddhist; Buddhism becomes privileged religion, Sinhala only official language
1979: Prevention of Terrorism Act (civil rights of individuals can be suspended in vaguely defined cases)

1970s

In the 1970s the conflict between the two ethnic groups intensified, which was cemented by the 1972 constitution. Different political parties and organisations merged into the TULF (Tamil United Liberation Front) which demanded an independent country (Tamil Eelam) in the North and East of the island.

Early 1980s

At the end of the SLFP government under Sirimavo Bandaranaike the conflict was temporarily relieved: Sinhala, Tamil and English were official languages by the constitution. All documents as well as street signs were trilingual. The Tamils were guaranteed a number of seats in parliament corresponding to their percentage of the population. In 1981 the UNP (United National Party) under J. R. Jayewardene won the elections with a majority enabling it to amend the constitution. Jayewardene denied the Tamil parliamentarians their guaranteed seats with the generalised accusation of separatism and declared them enemies of the state altogether. Furthermore he changed the constitution to put himself at the top of a presidial system following the model of the French constitution.