tamil history of two nations part 1 of 2

8/14/2019 TAMIL History of Two Nations Part 1 of 2

1/35

History of

two nationsIn the island of

SrilankaPart 1 of 2

SINHALATAMIL


2/35

Sri Lanka is the name of the island

earlier known as Ceylon

Situated off the south eastern tip ofIndia, separated by 22 miles ofsea called the Palk Strait.

It covers an area of 25,322 square

miles almost the size of Ireland orTasmania and has a totalpopulation of 18 million.

Evidence for presence of the Tamiland Sinhala people in the islanddates back to over 2,500 years.

The island had three separatekingdoms when first invaded bythe Europeans


3/35

1505 - Arrival of Portuguese - They first occupied the lowcountry Sinhalese areas in the south west of the Island.

1621 - Jaffna Tamil Kingdom fell to the Portuguese (more

than a century later).1656 - Dutch occupied areas which were under Portuguese

control.

1802 - Treaty of Amiens - Dutch possessions ceded to theBritish.

1815 - The Sinhalese Kandyan Kingdom in the central partsconquered by the British, having annexed the Tamil

Vanni Kingdom in the north.

The European Colonial Era

1505 to 1815


4/35

Two nations in one island

"Two different nations, from a very ancient period,

have divided between them the possession of the

Island: the Sinhalese inhabiting the interior in its

Southern and western parts from the riverWallouwe to Chilaw, and the Malabars (Tamils)

who possess the Northern and Eastern Districts.

These two nations differ entirely in their religion,

language and manners."

Sir Hugh Cleghorn, British Colonial Secretary, June 1879


5/35

1883-Two nations brought underone colonial administration

Both the Tamil People & Sinhalese people are indigenous peopleof Sri Lanka.

Early history records that they had their own monarchs andkingdoms. They were conquered by the colonial powers

separately and in different periods in history.They existed as separate communities until the British brought

them together in 1883 under a single administration

for the very first time in their long history

The sources of the national conflict in Sri Lanka are historical, economic, cultural &religious. In the words of David Selbourne of Ruskin College, Oxford,

it is "a true national question, if ever there was one".


6/35

The European Colonial Era1833 to 19471833-The British unified the island based on the

recommendations of Cole Brook - Cameron

Commission (purely for administrative convenience).

1931- Donoughmore constitution - State Councilelected by Universal suffrage (the first people toexercise universal suffrage in Asia).

1947 - Soulbury constitution adopted & general

elections held for the parliament of Ceylon.


7/35

February 4th 1948Change of Colonial Rulers

----------------------A unified state of Ceylon was declared independent

Political power handed to

Sinhala majoritarian rule drivenby Sinhala/Buddhist supremacy

as advocated by Mahavamsa & Anagarica Tharmapala

Sinhala Occupation of Tamil Eelamended British Occupation
http://mostlymedia.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/50004british-flag-posters.jpghttp://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.slrfc.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/srilankaf.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.slrfc.org/2008/04/10/happy-sinhala-tamil-new-year&usg=__atHc41OljUpg61cvrNY3BsP1HLM=&h=788&w=1181&sz=65&hl=en&start=36&um=1&tbnid=W1roC6DaJUg3wM:&tbnh=100&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsinhala%2Bflag%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4GZEZ_enGB311GB313%26sa%3DN%26start%3D20%26um%3D1


8/35

The Sinhala-Colonial Era1948 to 1956

1948 - British grant independence under the Soulbury constitution.The parliament, with its entrenched Sinhalese majority, legislates todisenfranchise Tamils of [recent] Indian origin who have lived therefor generations and have always exercised their franchise. TheTamil people lost almost half of their representation in theparliament.1948-ON WARDS - The state aided colonisation of Sinhalesepeople in Tamil areas promoted to annex Tamil homelands andfurther reduce Tamil representation in the parliament.

1956 - The Sinhalese Language made the only official language bylegislation, effectively making the educated Tamil people illiterate at

a stroke denying them equal access to education and employmentin the unified island. 1st Stepof the Genocide dehumanisationstarted


9/35

The Sinhala-Colonial Era1957 to 1958 1957B - C Pact between the Sinhalese Prime Minister

SWRD Bandaranaike and Tamil leader SJVChelvanayakam QC to meet some of the demands ofthe Tamil people.

1958 The Tamils living in the South are murdered andtheir property destroyed by Sinhala mob as the policeand armed forces stand by The Next step in TamilGenocide is taken.

The B-C Pact unilaterally abrogated by Mr Bandaranaike

to pacify the extreme elements among the SinhaleseBuddhists. 1959 Banadaraniake assassinated by Buddhist monk

for negotiating with the Tamils.


10/35

The Sinhala-Colonial Era1965 to 1971

1965D - C Pact- entered into, with another SinhalesePrime minister Dudley Senanayake and SJVChelvanayagam was never implemented by the

Sinhalese government.1969 Tamils seek redress through the judiciary and the

Privy Council in London directs the Supreme Court in SriLanka to review the constitutionality of the OfficialLanguage Act, since it violated s.29(2) the constitution.

1971 - The government responds by abolishing appeals toPrivy Council. Another non-violent path is closed by theSinhalese government.


11/35

1972 new Sinhala constitutionimposed on Tamils

1972- The new Republican Constitution was adopted andimposed on the Tamil people without their consent.

The only legal safeguard provided by the entrenched section29(2) of the Soulbury constitution, described by the Privy

Council in London that they "represent the solemn balance ofrights between the citizens of Ceylon, the fundamentalcondition on which inter se they accepted the constitution;and these are therefore unalterable under the constitution",was scrapped.

Tamil parties walked out of the constituent assembly. Withthis, Tamil participation of the democratic process in Ceylon(Sri Lanka) came to an end.


12/35

Marginalisation and oppression ofTamilscontinue.

1973- Through a process of standardization the government restricts entry ofTamil students to universities and institutions of higher education.

The Tamil Youth who had hitherto stayed away from politics enter the frayThe Thamil Maanavar Peravai (Tamil Students Form) is borne.

The members of this non violent Tamil Students Forum are arrested and

detained without trial by the Sinhala State. The 4th

Floorof the Sri LankanCID becomes a chamber where the Tamil youth are kept incommunicadoand tortured.

1974- The 4th International Tamil literary conference in Jaffna was violentlybroken up by the police, where many died and several were injured.

Every year, the memorials for those died in this massacre aredesecrated and demolished methodically, by the Sinhalese Forcesstationed in Jaffna, following reconstruction at each anniversary.Tamil youth are driven further and further away from the non violentdemocratic path.


13/35

Birth of the Tamil armed resistance inresponse to 25 years of State Terrorism25 years denial of legitimate Tamil grievances

Discriminatory and oppressive policies of the Sinhala regime

Broken promises of successive governments

Recurrent and state sanctioned mob Violence

Use of state armed violence against non-violent protests.

The Tamil youth loose faith in passive means to win their rights.

1976 The Tamil Armed Resistance Movement started. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)is borne (originally named Tamil New Tigers)

'... whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to haverecourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression,

that human rights should be protected by the rule of law...'- Universal Declaration of Human Rights


14/35

1976 Turning PointVaddukkoddai Resolution1976 - All the main Tamil political parties unite as Tamil United

Liberation Front (TULF) under the leadership of SJVChelvanayakam QC and at their First National Conventiondeclare:

"The Convention resolves that the restorationand reconstitution of the Free, Sovereign,Secular, Socialist state of Tamil Eelam basedon the right of self-determination inherent to

every nation has become inevitable in order tosafeguard the very existence of the Tamilnation in this country."


15/35

1977- Historical mandate of theTamil people

1977 - The TULF used the Sri Lankan election as a referendum on the 1976Vaddukkoddai Resolution. The Tamil people gave a clear mandate at thegeneral elections to establish their sovereignty. The manifesto called for:

" in the general Election the mandate of the Tamil Nation to establishan independent, sovereign, secular, socialist State of Tamil Eelam

that includes all the geographically contiguous areas that have beenthe traditional homeland of the Tamil-speaking people in the country.

"The Tamil nation must take the decision to establish its sovereignty inits homeland on the basis of its right to self-determination. The onlyway to announce this decision to the Sinhalese Government and tothe world is to vote for TULF. The Tamil-speaking representativeswho get elected through these votes while being members of theNational State Assembly of Tamil Eelam which will draft a constitutionfor the state of Tamil Eelam and establish the independence of TamilEelam by bringing that constitution into operation either by peacefulmeans or by direct action or struggle".


16/35

The Sinhala Response to DemocraticMandate of Tamils in 1977

Tamil People living outside Tamil Eelam were attackedby organised Sinhala gangs armed with clubs andmachetes. Tamil businesses were set alight. The thugshad the backing of the Sinhala state who provided them

with voters list to identify Tamils. Thousands of Tamils lost their lives and millions worth of

Tamils property were looted or destroyed. Yet again,the lives of Tamils living outside Tamil Eelam could notbe guaranteed where neighbour turned against

neighbour. Tamils who escaped death fled to Tamil Eelam forsafety.


17/35

The Sinhala Response ctd. The Sri Lankan government uses its majority to

draw up a constitution (1978) to placate theSinhalese

introduces the clause Republic of Sri Lanka is aunitary state in the constitution. Buddhism is made the state religion Tamil MPs refuse to accept the new constitution

which violate the Tamil mandate boycott SriLankan parliament.

The Sinhala Democracy used to suppress theDemocratic will of the Tamils.


18/35

Sinhala Armed forcesTerrorise the Tamils 'The murders (of Tamils) are said to have

been committed by police either actingwithout orders or with the connivance of thepolice'- Sir John Foster Q.C., David Astor, Robert Birley, Louis Blom-Cooper, James Fawcett, Dingle Foot & Michael Scott; The LondonTimes 20 September 1977.

Civilians injured in an attack by policemen I heardthe A.S.P. (Asst. Superintendent of Police)shouting 'shoot them like dogs. It is either they orwe'...- M.R. Joseph, witness at the Sansoni Commission(Sessional Paper No. VII-1980; p 97)

There is considerable body of evidence thatthe army kills innocent (Tamil) civilians.'- Robert Kilroy-Silk M.P. & Roger Sims J.P., M.P; Report of Visit toSri Lanka on Behalf of the (UK) Parliamentary Human Rights Group;February 1985

THE EVIDENCE

STUDENTS KILLED IN JAFFNA 1980


19/35

1979 - Emergency Regulations & Prevention ofTerrorism Actto give draconian powers to brutalise Tamils

to give impunity to the armed forces."The South African Terrorism Act has been called 'A

piece of legislation which must shock the conscience

of a lawyer.'

Many of the provisions of the Sri Lankan Preventionof Terrorism Act are equally contrary to accepted

principles of the Rule of Law."- Virginia Leary; Ethnic Conflict and Violence in Sri Lanka: Report of a Mission to SriLanka on behalf of the International Commission of Jurists, July/August 1981

This Prevention of Terrorism Act is still in force and so far an estimated

70,000 Tamil civilians have been killed by the Sri Lankan armed forces.


20/35

SINHALESE ACT TO DESTROYTAMIL HISTORY Genocidal Intent

1981 JAFFNA PUBLIC LIBRARY which

housed irreplaceable ancient Tamil Palm

leaf (Olai) manuscripts and 90,000Volumes of books, was set ablaze by the

Sinhala Armed forces, personally directed

by two cabinet ministers A wanton act of

genocidal intent to destroy the history of anancient people.


21/35

'If any state could virtuallydeclare war against asection of its own people,

and do it unashamedly, ithappened in Sri Lanka thisyear.Imagine a rowdy bandof reserve policemen beingbrought all the way fromthe south to the Tamilcapital city of Jaffna, and inthe unusual presence in thecity of two CabinetMinisters, setting fire to thebiggest cultural possession

of the Tamils - the PublicLibrary housing 95,000volumes, some of them raremanuscripts...'

Jaffna public library burnt out

Prof. Virginia A Leary; EthnicConflict and Violence in SriLanka; Report of a Mission to

Sri Lanka on behalf of theInternational Commission ofJurists (July-August 1981)

1st June

1981


22/35

KILLING OF TAMILS LIGITIMISED

'At present the armed services are under restraint because inany incident that may result there can be inquiries bycoroners which may even lead later to trials before lawcourts. This puts the services at a great disadvantage... In

order to free the (armed) services of these disabilities,security regulations will be published. They will remove theobligations to have coroners inquests following anyshooting incidents by Armed Services'- Bulletin of the Sri Lanka Department of Information

4 June 1983Source Amnesty International Report June 1984)


23/35

BLACK JULY 1983 The TV cameras of the world press, for the

first time, record one chapter of the ongoing

genocidal programme against Tamils. Theadvent of satellite TV makes it possible to

show the international community the

nature of the Sinhala psyche.

Part of a large scheme of ridding the island

of Tamils, is recorded by the world press.


24/35

1983

anti Tamilpogrom

"Motorists were dragged from their cars to be stoned and beatenwith sticks... Others were cut down with knives and axes."

-London Daily Telegraph 26 July 1983

"The impact of the communal violence on the Tamils was

shattering... The evidence points clearly to the conclusion that

the violence of the Sinhala rioters on the Tamils amounted to

Acts of Genocide."- The Review, International Commission of Jurists, December 1983
http://www.sangam.org/FB_PHOTOHISTORY/Intro.htm


25/35

1983

THE EXODUS

'Awareness of their insecurity

drove many Tamils, especiallyin the Colombo area, to

abandon their homes and

shops, and seek refuge in

temples, airport hangers and

improvised camps. Estimates

of the numbers made

homeless range upto 100,000,

many in poorly provisioned

'refugee camps.'

Tamils of Sri Lanka

Minority Rights Group Report;September 1983The government of India provided

ships to repatriate the Tamils to

Tamil Eelam and safety.


26/35

Mass evacuation away fromSinhala mob rule and carnage

Aug1983

Tamil Refugees being taken in an Indian shipdisembarking in Jaffna (August 1983).

The Truth: Tamils can only be safe in an independent Tamil Eelam.

The Myth: Tamils live peacefully in the South amongst Sinhalese


27/35

"Witnesses also confirmed allegations made to us that whole (Tamil)villages have been emptied and neighbourhoods have been driven bythe army from their homes and occupations... We can say, withoutdoubt, that the Government is driving Tamils from their homes anddoes intend to settle Sinhalese people in these areas..." Robert Kilroy-Silk MP and Roger Sims MP

UK Parliamentary Human Rights Group Report (1985)

Sinhala colonists and a

Buddhist priest with guns

This Buddhist Priest, who callsSri Lanka 'The Sinhala Dheepa'

(The Sinhala Island), has

publicly exhorted Sinhala

people to terrorize Tamil

people into fleeing the island.


28/35

India role in the Tamil liberationmovement

India became involved in the Civil War during the early 1980s whenthe Indian government supplied arms and funding to both the LTTEand its rival terrorist organisation, the Tamil Eelam LiberationOrganisation, or TELO. It is thought that through arming bothindependence parties the Rajiv Ghandi's government sought tofollow a 'divide and rule' strategy. Exerting control over theindependence movement India stood to gain influence in Sri Lankawhile quelling the calls of Tamils in India for a similar independentstate.

Read more: "India in Sri Lankan War: History of India's Involvement

with Tamil Tigers" -http://indian-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/india_in_sri_lankan_ci
http://indian-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/india_in_sri_lankan_civil_warhttp://indian-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/india_in_sri_lankan_civil_war


29/35

Indo-Sri LankanPeace Accord

July 29 1987

Negotiations were soon held between IndianPrime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri LankanPresident Junius Richard Jayewardene,which lead to the signing of the Indo-SriLankan Peace Accord on July 29, 1987. TheSri Lankan government made a number ofconcessions to Tamil demands, including adevolution of power to the provinces, amerger of the North and East into one state,(invalidated in 2006) and the institution ofTamil as a national language. India, in return,was to cease aiding Tamil militants, andestablish a peacekeeping force in the Tamil-majority area of Sri Lanka.

Read more: "India in Sri Lankan War: Historyof India's Involvement with Tamil Tigers" -http://indian-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/i
http://indian-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/india_in_sri_lankan_civil_warhttp://indian-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/india_in_sri_lankan_civil_war


30/35

12 October 1988Indian forcesJaffna University Helidrop

Sri Lankan Civil WarPoomalai Pawan (Jaffna University Helidrop) TrishulViraat Checkmate KokavilThe Jaffna University Helidrop was the first ofthe operations launched by the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF) aimed atdisarming the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) by force and securing the town of Jaffna, SriLanka, in the opening stages of Operation Pawan during the active Indianmediation in the Sri Lankan Civil War.

Mounted on the midnight of 12 October 1988, the operation was planned as a fastheliborne assault involving Mi-8's of the No.109 HU,

the 10th Para Commandos and a contingent of the 13th Sikh LI. The aim of theoperation was to capture the LTTE leadership at Jaffna University building whichserved as the Tactical Headquarters of the LTTE, which was expected toshorten Operation Pawan, the battle for Jaffna. However, the operation endeddisastrously, failing to capture its objectives -owing to intelligence and planningfailures.

The helidropped force suffered significant casualties, with nearly the entire Sikh LIdetachment of twenty nine troops falling to a man, along with sixParacommandos falling in battle. It has since come to be known infamously asthe Jaffna Football Ground Massacre].

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


31/35

Indian forces at War withTamil Tigers October 87 to march90

The newly created Indian Peace Keeping Force demanded that the Tamilinsurgent groups agreed to lay down their arms. The LTTE, who had grown inpower initially through Indian funding, now refused to disarm its forces,drawing India into a three-year full-scale conflict. During the conflict India wasaccused of human rights abuses on various accounts, both from Western andIndian media sources.

The Peacekeeping Force were asked to leave by the Sri Lankan government,and after opposition from Gandhi, his successor V.P.Singh ended the conflict,with the last IPK ship leaving Sri Lanka on the 24th March 1990.

Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated subsequently by an allegedly LTTE womansuicide bomber, losing the movement significant support from inside India.

Read more: "India in Sri Lankan War: History of India's Involvement with

Tamil Tigers" - http://indian- history.suite101.com/article.cfm/india_in_sri_lankan_civil_war#ixzz097Z2lNJ
http://indian-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/india_in_sri_lankan_civil_warhttp://indian-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/india_in_sri_lankan_civil_warhttp://indian-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/india_in_sri_lankan_civil_warhttp://indian-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/india_in_sri_lankan_civil_warhttp://indian-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/india_in_sri_lankan_civil_war


32/35

10thnovember/1990

Air Force

bombs Jaffna hospital

In a statement issued here, the ICRC charged that a single air force aircraft

dropped two bombs around 7.45 a.m. within 'the clearly defined securityarea'.

One person was wounded inside the ICRC protected hospital compound,

and four within the security area. According to the ICRC, the roofs of four

of the hospital buildings were blown off by the explosion

and the windows shattered... the hospital was clearly marked with red

crosses for easy identification from the ground and air, officials said.The rules proscribe any military action from or against the safety areawhich was devoid of any military or political installation, the ICRC said...- AFP News Service 10 November 1990


33/35

Migration after 1983pogrom

After the start of the conflict between the Sri Lankangovernment and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam,there was a mass migration of Tamils trying to escapethe hardships and perils of war.

Initially, it was middle class professionals, such as doctorsand engineers, who emigrated; they were followed bythe poorer segments of the community.

The fighting has driven more than 800,000 Tamils fromtheir homes to other places within Sri Lanka as internally

displaced persons and also overseas,prompting the United Nations High Commissioner for

Refugees (UNHCR) to identify them in 2004 as thelargest asylum-seeking group
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Canadian_Sri_Lankan_Tamil_Children.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Canadian_Sri_Lankan_Tamil_Children.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Canadian_Sri_Lankan_Tamil_Children.jpg


34/35

Refugees outside srilanka

Neighbouring India has provided refuge to

over 100,000 in special camps and another

50,000 outside of the camps


35/35

History of the Tamil nation inthe island of Srilanka

continues in the second set of slides

AFTERYEAR

2000

tamil history of two nations part 1 of 2

Documents