The beginnings of the Conflict
The origins of
the Sinhala-Tamil conflict in Sri Lanka
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A bit of History
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Jaffna Peninsula ( Yapa
Patuna) captured by the
Portuguese by defeating
Sinhalese General
(Athapattu Dissava) in 1591
The Dutch captured all
Portuguese territories (
Green) by 1658.
The Dutch brought “Malabar
Tamils” to grow tobacco in
the North (Jaffna)
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British colonial rule
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The British drove out the Dutch,
and took over the Kandyan
kingdom by a treaty signed in
1815 .
Kandyan peasants ousted for
Land
The 1910 ruling council had 2
Europeans, one Burgher and one
Tamil (Sir Ponnambalam
Ramanathan) of the “highest
caste” for all Ceylonese.
Divide and rule policy of
promoting the minority against
the majority.
G. G. Ponnambalam:
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from Casteism to Racism
G. G. Ponnambalam, a young Tamil Lawyer
opposes Donoughmore reforms and rejects the
“one nation of Ceylonese” concept and calls
himself a proud Dravidian (Hansard 1935).
Claims that the Tamils were the first inhabitants of
Sri Lanka.
GGP begins violently racist politics, verbally
attacking the Sinhalese & the Mahavamsa. The
campaign leads to the first communal riot in
1939, quickly put down by the British.
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Tamil opposition to Universal voting rights
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Donoughmore commission (1929
CE) proposes one vote per adult
(universal suffrage).
Tamil leaders TOTALLY OPPOSED
UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE, and
Sinhala Majority rights. They
also asked for the caste system
in the constitution.
G G Ponnambalam demands 50
seats for Sinhala 75% and 50 seats
for the 15% Tamils & minorities.
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50:50 “equal rights”.
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D.S. Senanayaka and the Ceylonese cabinet
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S. W. R. D. Banadaranike
begins to oppose G. G.
Ponnambalam in the
1930s forming “Sinhala
Maha Sabha”
D. S. Senanayake (“One
Nation of Ceylonese”)
wins independence in
1948 and forms the first
Government under the
UNP. Both G. G. P and
SWRD join the UNP
cabinet.
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The Indian Citizenship Act 1949
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Indian Citizenship Act
(ICA) is passed giving
citizenship to all those
with 7 years Ceylon
residence.
Tamil congress supports it,
but Chelvanayagam calls G.
G. Ponnambalam a
“Traitor”.
Several up-country Tamil
MPs (Thondaman's Party)
were disqualified due to the
ICA.
Chelva goes to court
against ICA and looses.
The Privy Council (UK)
Arasu and Sinhala only
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lankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi (Lanka
Thamil Sovereignist Party) claimed in
1949 that the North and East are
“EXCLUSIVE TAMIL HOMELANDS”,
and that the land has to be liberated
from the invaders (Molsems and
Sinhalese)
In English it was the “ Federal Party of
Ceylon”. SWRD 's Sinhala Only cry of
1956 was used by Chelvanayagam to
organize civil obedience designed to
increase ethnic polarization and
division.
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A series of communal riots took place.
Standardization of University admissions
was used to foment communal division.
The B-C Pact and its failure
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SWRD Bandaranaike and SJV
Chelvanayagam signed the B-C
Pact (1957) providing for the
Thamil Arasu Kadchi demands.
G.G. Ponna, the UNP, and the
Bhikku Peramuna opposed it.
The Tamil press hailed the B-C pact
as first happy step to Sovereignty
(Arasu). The Sinhala press claimed
it to be incipient separatism.
There was no effort at trust
building. The pact was torn up in
the face of opposition
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TULF, Vadukoddai (Batakotte) and Militancy
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Increasing tempo of communal
riots (1939, 1956, 1958, 1977,
1981, 1983). Tamil political
parties form the Tamil United
Liberation Front (TULF).
The 1976 Vadukoddai (Batakotte)
resolution demanded the
formation of a Tamil Eelam.
Political assassinations of
moderate Tamils began in 1975
Picture of Chelva with
Sivakumaran, who became the
first cyanide-suicidee.
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Rise of the LTTE - eliminating dissent.
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The “boys” nurtured by the Shanmuganathan-1998,
TULF hijacked Tamil politics Thiruchelvam- 1999,
Aputharaj- 1999,
and become the “sole
Soundaranayagam-2000,
representative of Tamils” by Chandra nehru – 2005,
murdering all Tamil
Kadirgamar, 2005
opponents (& others)
Pararajasingham-2005,
Duraiappah -Mayor(1975),
Canagaratnam-MP(1979),
Thiyagarajah-MP(1981),
Dharmalingam-MP(1985),
Alalasundaram-MP(1985),
Yogesvaran-MP(1989),
Amirthalaingam-MP(1989),
Thambimuttu-MP (1990),
Kirubaran -1990 Yogasangari(1990), Arunasalam-MP (1997),
Maharoof-MP (1997) Etc.
.Etc....http://dh-
Raviraj - 2006,
Sivamaharaja – 2006,
K.Loganathan-2006,
Mahesvarahn, 2008,
Sivanesan, 2008,
Fernandopulle, 2008
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Etc. .Etc.....
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Rajiv Gandhi – 1991
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R. Premadasa -1993
End justifies the means?
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TULF politicians as well as the
LTTE boasted that they “welcome
state violence and will give it back
in kind”, ruthlessly.
LTTE perfected suicide bombing,
child soldiers, militarizing the
feminine body, financial extortion
and physical elimination of all
opposition.
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The rich Tamil Diaspora funded
arms purchases and world-wide
propganda.
Diplomats, academics and NGOs
were funded to “join the cause".
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Conclusion-Rise of LTTE militancy
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Armed Tamil militancy resulted
from deliberate manipulative
polarization of the two
communities .
Tamil opposition to universal
suffrage, & Sinhala majority
politics led Tamil leaders to seek
separation.
This was spear-headed by the
privileged Tamils, sacrificing the
lower-castes and rural Tamils.
Separatist agitation led to
violence and enormous suffering
to Tamils.
Even today the rich Tamils of the
Diaspora push for Eelam via the
TGTE.