notes - conflict in multi-ethnic societies (sri lanka) ver 1.0

7/30/2019 Notes - Conflict in Multi-Ethnic Societies (Sri Lanka) Ver 1.0

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SOCIAL STUDIESCONFLICT IN MULTI-ETHNIC SOCIETIESConflicts in Sri Lanka Causes

By CWW

Factor 1: Citizenship Rights

The Sinhalese government grants citizenship to those who are born in Sri Lanka

or whose forefathers are born here.

Many Tamils found themselves stateless.

Tamils have been working in Sri Lanka for many years, but they are not given

basic rights such as housing and voting.

Tamils feel discriminated and think the government is biased.

Tamils then use violence to get their rights through armed conflict, causing

instability in Sri Lanka.

The Sinhalese government then implement policies that are against the Tamils. Worsen the relationship between the Sinhalese and the Tamils.

Factor 2: Sinhala-Only Policy

Sinhala is use only in the language of administration.

Tamils are given three years to learn Sinhala or be dismissed.

Many Tamils find it difficult to find jobs or get promoted.

The Tamils then get angry and feel discriminated.

Unable to get a job would means loss of livelihood.

Tamils then use violence to get their rights.

The Sinhalese government then implement policies that are against the Tamils. Worsen the relationship between the Tamil and Sinhalese.

Factor 3: University Admission Criteria

Tamils have to score higher marks than the Sinhalese to enter the same course.

A fixed place also reserved for the Sinhalese.

Many Tamils find it difficult to enter the university.

This means it is hard for the Tamils to get a degree to get high-ranking jobs.

This would mean loss of livelihood.

The Tamils then feel discriminated since Sinhalese can get high-ranking jobs.

This means that Tamils remain treated as second-class citizen.

Tamils feel that the government is biased, and then use violence to get their rights.

The Sinhalese government then implement policies that are against the Tamils.

Worsen the relationship between the Tamil and Sinhalese.

Factor 4: Resettlement

The Sinhalese peasants were transferred to the Tamil areas to live and work on

cultivating the padi, occupying the Tamils land.

Buddhist monks and the Sri Lankan army also come to occupy their land.

The government drove the Tamils away and allow the Sinhalese to settle.

Tamils feel angry and discriminated as they have no place to live.


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Tamils then use violence to get their rights.

Worsen the relationship between the Tamil and Sinhalese.

SOCIAL STUDIESCONFLICT IN MULTI-ETHNIC SOCIETIES

Conflicts in Sri Lanka Consequences

Factor 1: Political Consequence

The government implement policies which are unfair to the Tamils.

The Tamils feel discriminated and angry, the think that the government is biased.

Feeling desperate, the Tamils form a terrorist organisation, Liberation Tigers of

Tamil Eelam (LTTE), known popularly as Tamil Tigers.

The LTTE kills the Sinhalese to get their rights.

The Sinhalese government will then provide troops to get rid of the LTTE.

The LTTE will get angrier, and will use even extreme measures such as suicide

bombings to get their rights. Worsen the relationship between the Sinhalese and the Tamils.

It may even attract the attention of another country.

India tried to play the role of the mediator, but both the racial groups failed to

come to an agreement.

Finally, the Sri Lankan government agreed to sign a peace accord.

However, the Tamil Tigers failed to surrender their weapons, the Indian troops

took control them by force.

These worsen the relationship between the Sinhalese and Tamils.

Factor 2: Economic Consequence When violence occurs, the workplace and padi fields will be destroyed, leading to

massive unemployment.

The unemployed people take part in vandalising, looting and burning their places

of work.

The economy falls as there is instability in Sri Lanka.

This will lose the confidence from foreign investment.

Many foreigners would not want to invest an unstable country.

Sri Lankas economy then falls as more foreigners decided not to invest in Sri

Lanka.

Tourism, which is one of Sri Lankas major income earners, was seriouslyaffected as tourists are afraid of getting killed.

This results in a loss of jobs and a fall in earnings.

This affects the economy.

There will be limited funds to develop amenities and facilities such as housing.

Factor 3: Social Consequence

The conflicts have causes many Tamils to flee from the country.

The relationships between the Tamils and Sinhalese have become worse.

Many Tamils are fled to Tamil Nadu in South India.

This has causes them to be afraid of returning back to Sri Lanka.


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They have to remain as refugees in India for many years.

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notes - conflict in multi-ethnic societies (sri lanka) ver 1.0

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