Name the principal players in the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. How do you assess the prospects of the resolution of this conflict?
Sri Lanka is an island country comprising the Sinhala community, who are in majority, and Tamils, who are a minority. These two groups constitute the principal players in the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. The Sinhala community established its supremacy by pursuing the policy of Majoritarianism and by adopting various measures like the Sri Lankan constitution, which did not give recognition to the minority group and instead recognised Sinhala as the official language. The Tamils there have been deprived of their basic civil political rights and have been the victims of discrimination. Moreover, the Tamil-dominated regions have been deprived of autonomy. This policy has deteriorated the relations between the two communities, thereby leading to an ethnic conflict.
Possible solutions to the problem of ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka are as follows:
a. It would be imperative to rewrite the rules of the country of Sri Lanka that would be based on power-sharing arrangements between the Sinhalese and the Tamils and not on the belief of Majoritarinism that sought to establish the supremacy and dominance of the majority community.
b. To grant more autonomy to Tamil-dominated regions.
c. To extend civil and political rights to the Tamil minorities and be sensitive to their interests.
d. To amend the constitution in order to give recognition to the distinct Tamil culture, language and religion.
e. To make the system democratic, accommodative and representative based on the principles of equality, liberty, justice and fairness.
Sri Lanka is an island country comprising the Sinhala community, who are in majority, and Tamils, who are a minority. These two groups constitute the principal players in the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. The Sinhala community established its supremacy by pursuing the policy of Majoritarianism and by adopting various measures like the Sri Lankan constitution, which did not give recognition to the minority group and instead recognised Sinhala as the official language. The Tamils there have been deprived of their basic civil political rights and have been the victims of discrimination. Moreover, the Tamil-dominated regions have been deprived of autonomy. This policy has deteriorated the relations between the two communities, thereby leading to an ethnic conflict.
Possible solutions to the problem of ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka are as follows:
b. To grant more autonomy to Tamil-dominated regions.
c. To extend civil and political rights to the Tamil minorities and be sensitive to their interests.
d. To amend the constitution in order to give recognition to the distinct Tamil culture, language and religion.
e. To make the system democratic, accommodative and representative based on the principles of equality, liberty, justice and fairness.
