Sinhalese-Tamil conflict

The consequences

Consequences

• Click on the hyperlink to begin• Political• Economic• Social

Political consequences

• Armed conflict • Foreign intervention

Peaceful Means: TAMILSPeaceful Means: TAMILS Early 1950s : Federal Party asked

that Tamil areas be recognised as a federation within the country

Demands not met 1976 : New political party TAMIL

UNITED LIBERATION FRONT asked for a separate independent state (Tamil Eelam)

Sinhalese government rejected this idea

ARMED CONFLICTARMED CONFLICT

Violent Means: Violent Means: TAMILSTAMILS Some angry Tamil

youths formed a militant group, the LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM [LTTE] , and resorted to violence

Popularly known as Tamil Tigers, they were considered terrorists

ARMED CONFLICTARMED CONFLICT

Violent Means: TAMILSViolent Means: TAMILS Tamil Tigers attacked

Tamil members of the police force

Tamil members and supporters of the ruling party

Tamil politicians who did not support the proposed separate state

The Sinhalese

ARMED CONFLICTARMED CONFLICT

Violent Means: SINHALESEViolent Means: SINHALESE Sinhalese also showed hostility

through violence Anti-Tamil riots first in 1956, then

1958, 1971, 1977 and 1983 Many killed and injured Tamils forced to flee for their lives Unfortunately, such riots were

encouraged by the Sinhalese security forces such as the army

ARMED CONFLICTARMED CONFLICT

Violent MeansViolent Means 1983 riots – thousands fled to Tamil Nadu

in South India Indian government was forced to

intervene in the conflict in Sri Lanka Violence cost thousands of lives Leads to hatred and distrust Makes peaceful solutions almost an

impossibility Children grow up with prejudices of their

racial or religious groups Remained hostile towards each other

throughout their lives

ARMED CONFLICTARMED CONFLICT

Internal conflicts may attract foreign intervention

How? Role of mediator vs direct involvement

In this case, INDIA 1983 : Mediator Jun 1987 : Indian Air Force dropped

food and medical supplies in Jaffna. Jul 1987 : Sri Lanka, under pressure

from India, signed a peace accord with India

FOREIGN INTERVENTIONFOREIGN INTERVENTION

• Extract of peace accord:– Was to be a ceasefire between the

Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan forces– Tamil Tigers were to surrender their

arms to the Indian peacekeeping troops

– Tamil-dominated northern provinces were to be merged with the eastern provinces

FOREIGN INTERVENTIONFOREIGN INTERVENTION

Oct 1987 : Indian troops took Jaffna by force

Oct 1987 – Dec 1988 : Clashes between Indian peacekeeping force and Tamil Tigers

Mar 1990 : Indian peacekeeping force withdrawn

FOREIGN INTERVENTIONFOREIGN INTERVENTION

Economic consequences

• Unemployment• Loss of investment from other

countries• Fall in number of tourists

Those killed are usually breadwinners of families Riots of 1983 caused massive unemployment

Factory worked Self-employed Plantation workers

Many Tamil-owned companies and business were the target of the looters

Many of the jobless were Sinhalese, took part in Vandalism, looting and burning places of

work such as garment factories In a conflict, all parties suffer

UNEMPLOYMENTUNEMPLOYMENT

Businesses from other countries are needed for economic growth

Internal unrest drives away investors

Sri Lanka – investments fell US$66m in 1982 US$39m in 1983 US$22m in 1986 Affects economy drastically

LOSS OF FOREIGN LOSS OF FOREIGN INVESTMENTSINVESTMENTS

Tourism – a major income earner for Sri Lanka

Serious affected by violent internal conflict

Tourist arrivals fell drastically after 1983 riots

Loss of jobs; fall in income Affects economy adversely Less funds for public projects like

transport and housing

FALL IN NUMBER OF FALL IN NUMBER OF TOURISTSTOURISTS

Social Consequences

• Sri Lankans driven out of their homeland

In the 1983 riots, thousands of Tamils fled to Tamil Nadu in India.

Still remain as refugees in India

High Security Zones (HSZ) were set up by Sri Lankan army to keep LTTE away

Access controlled

Sri Lankan Tamils driven Sri Lankan Tamils driven out out

of their homelandof their homeland

Recent updates of the conflict

• 2002 – peace talk begin. Ceasefire agreement was signed

• 2003 – LTTE withdrew talks• 2004 – suicide bomb took place in

Colombo. • Tsunami in Sri Lanka further aggravated

the conflict. International aid was not shared between Sinhalese and Tamils

• 2005 – assassination of Foreign Minister, a Tamil. Major setback for peace talk.

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Federation

• A federation is a state that comprises a number of partially self-governing regions, united by a central government

Militant group

• One that uses organised violence to achieve their goals

Mediator

• A neutral party that brings two opposing sides together for discussion

Peace accord

• Agreement between two hostile parties, tht formally ends a war or armed conflict.

Ceasefire

• A temporary stoppage of any armed conflict, where each side involved in the conflict agrees to suspend aggressive actions

Looting

• In times of riots, not safe for shops/companies to open for business. A group of people will then forcefully break open the shops/companies and carry off things/objects. These things can be goods or office equipment.