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A Roar Between the Tigers and the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka |
| Published On: 07-21-2009 |
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Located below the Indian sub continent, a little island nation named Sri Lanka is finally beginning to gain some media coverage on the international stage. Sri Lanka, a country consisting of two opposing groups of people; the Sinhalese majority and the minority Tamil population has remained in a state of raging civil war for the last two decades. In May 2009 the war was claimed to be over with the Singhalese government overthrowing the Tamil combatants. However, the small island is still suffering a state of humanitarian crisis.
History
The two groups have consistently remained in a state of conflict since Great Britain colonized Sri Lanka in 1915.1 The conflict was instigated due to racial, linguistic, ethnic and cultural differences. During the British rule, a majority of the Sinhalese people believed that the Tamil population was favored, especially in matters concerning civil, political, and educational rights. For example the Tamils had access to English-speaking schools, while the Singhalese did not.
Although the entire nation was under colonial rule during this period, not many Singhalese natives were given the privileges that the Tamils obtained under the great Empire. It is here, in the marginalization of one group over the other, that a divisive nature began to form in the nation of Sri Lanka. After the nation’s independence from Great Britain in 1948, the Sri Lankan government, lead by the Singhalese population assumed power in the country.2 The conflict between the two groups only increased as the government imposed a myriad of social restrictions upon the Tamil minority including the denial of citizenship and various civil rights to the Tamil people.
In an effort to overcome Sri Lanka’s state oppression, the Tamils formed their own separatist defense party in 1979 known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) lead by Velupillai Prabhakaran.3 The outbreak of civil war in the nation was marked by events such as Black July in 1983, in which the Sinhalese government organized “genocidal pogroms” against the Tamil people.4
During Black July, thousands of Tamil people were massacred; their homes and villages were also burned to the ground. The Tamil Tigers retaliated by killing 13 Singhalese soldiers in a village ambush and violence then escalated.5 As a result of the increasing violence, many Tamils left the country at the outbreak of war taking refuge primarily in Australia, Canada, and Great Britain.6
Since then, the LTTE has claimed to fight the Singhalese government until they have formed their own Tamil nation in the northern Jaffna region of Sri Lanka, the region, which inhabits a majority of the Tamil population.7 Most of the combat has taken place in the Jaffna region as well. The LTTE separatist group gained great power and leverage over the years. It has now been labeled as a terrorist organization by various countries including the United States, Canada, India, and by all member countries of the European Union.8 Due to this title, nations are unwilling to get involved in Sri Lanka in the fear that it may instigate international violence due to terrorism.
It is estimated that around 80,000 people have died due to this civil war.9 As a result, it has had a devastating effect on the nation’s economic, social, and political status. Constant rivalry between the two groups has committed the country to be in a state of humanitarian crisis for years. Although in 1995, the first agreements of peace talks between the two groups took place, it ended in a tumultuous state resulting in escalated crisis.
No end seemed to be in sight until February 2002, when the Sinhalese government and the Tamil Tigers signed a ceasefire agreement formulating peace talks to end the ongoing conflict.10 Norway became the mediator of the two opposing parties during this period, the A9 highway linking the Jaffna region with the rest of Sri Lanka reopened after a decade of no access. As mentioned previously, the Jaffna region is the key area in which the Tamils had fought to gain independence.
The first active round of peace talks occurred in 2003, but the Tigers left the negotiations claiming that the Singhalese population had an unfair advantage. The conflict in Sri Lanka continued brewing and conclusions for peace agreements ceased to occur. Finally, in February 2006, the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tiger rebels came to an agreement to hold talks in Geneva, Switzerland. Immediately after this agreement, the violence in Sri Lanka decreased for some time.
Unfortunately that same year, fighting broke out again after a period of decreased violence, it was the worst fighting seen since the 2002 ceasefire broke out in the Northeast region of Sri Lanka. Hundreds of people died and the UN stated that tens of thousands fled their homes. Due to this spontaneous outburst, the A9 highway closed once again.11
Eventually in October 28 and 29, 2006 peace talks between the Sinhalese government and the Tamil Tigers resumed in Geneva.12 Many understood that this event would be critical to the state of peace in Sri Lanka and were hoping that the talks would plant the seed for the possibility of future talks between the two sides.
During the talks, the Tamil Tiger delegation announced that they would not agree to another round of peace talks until the Sri Lankan government opened the A9 highway. They claimed that the closure of the A9 highway prevented humanitarian aid from reaching its civilians. The Sri Lankan government responded to this argument by stating that the Tamil Tigers were attacking the highway and forcing money from Singhalese motor vehicles using the road.
Norwegian mediator Erik Solheim stated, “no deal had been reached on how to address the humanitarian crisis and no dates had been set for new negotiations.”13 Although the two groups had met for peace talks, many suspected that the talks were arranged due to pressure from the international community and no real diplomacy between the two groups was ready to take place. The negotiations concluded with no resolution in sight.
Current Situation
Ultimately, in May 2009, the Sri Lankan government overthrew the LTTE military forces, including its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran who was said to have been killed by the government.14 Selvarasa Pathmanathan the LTTE’s chief of International Affairs admitted defeat stating “This battle has reached its bitter end ... We have decided to silence our guns. Our only regrets are for the lives lost and that we could not hold out for longer.”15
Although the war has come to an end, the conflict and animosity between the two populations have yet to cease. Since the death of Prabhakaran, murder, rape and ongoing violence have continued to ravage the Jaffna region of Sri Lanka. The Singhalese government is denying the continued killing of civilians in the no-fire zone citied by the The Times news.16 The death tolls are numbered to 1,000 each day with the civil war at an “end.”17 UN sources stated that “These figures are not even complete yet, It’s going to end up way more.”18
The UN believes that nearly 7,000 civilians may have been killed and another 13,000 injured in the war since January. More than 250,000 people have been displaced from their homes in the north.19
As a result of the ongoing violence in the nation, a mass protest of 100,000 people took place in London’s Parliament Square in April 2009.20 Before the civil war was officially ended, the protest included a number of organized strikes and sit-ins. These programs were organized to raise awareness of Sri Lanka’s humanitarian crisis and to apply pressure on the international community to take action against the violence in the nation. After 73 days of protest, no major action was taken by the UK government or by any major world body.21
During the protest, Conservative Minister of Parliament Gerald Howarth stated, “It is completely outrageous that members of this House have been subjected to this inconvenience, that the people of London have been subjected to this inconvenience. The situation in Sri Lanka is nothing to do with this House.”22 Ambi Seevaratnam, a protestor who was involved in talks between student organizers and police during the two month protest said “After 73 days, nothing has worked. We feel the Tamils have been betrayed by the international community.”23
Although the war and the protest have ended, Sri Lanka still continues to suffer in the violence raged by the two opposing groups in the nation.
Globalization has affected Sri Lanka from migration, to media, and even music. The global phenomenon has allowed the civil war to gain publicity on the international level with the help of the internet and technological transport advancements.
Media
Although the fight in Sri Lanka has been of a climactic catastrophe in the South Asian region, very little has been done by the international community to diminish the violence. In fact, until recently, very few news outlets covered the story.
A primary reason for the lack of media coverage in the region is due to the Sri Lankan government’s unwillingness to allow journalist to examine and report about the region’s activities. The Sri Lankan government often uses the notion of sovereignty as a defense for limiting press coverage.24 In addition, the government denies killing of the Tamil population and claims that the civil war is solely a domestic issue.
On the other hand, the Tamil population has refuted this claim and stated the exact opposite, stating it is necessary for the international community to act because of the number of deaths that are occurring in Sri Lanka. Many Tamils claim that this civil war is a genocide against their people.25
Aside from the Singhalese efforts to bar media in the region, the international community has taken very little interest in the problems of Sri Lanka, due to the fact that it is a small nation with little effect on the world as a whole.
Migration
Since the brink of war, the Tamil populations in Sri Lanka have been migrating to a number of developed countries such as Australia, Great Britain, the United States and Canada.26 The great increase of Tamils in Canada has been a huge resource for the LTTE. An organization named The World Tamil Movement (WTM) funneled over 30 million dollars to the terrorist organization annually in an effort to achieve independence.27
Globalization has contributed to this great Sri Lankan Diaspora through the advancements in flight technology. With the help of the internet and advanced communication over the years, Tamil groups have been able to unite and mobilize themselves for their fight to independence from across the globe. Funding the LTTE is a long standing mission processed by the increasing number of Tamils in the developed nations who now have the resources to raise funds and awareness about their cause and people through the creation of blogs, NGOs, and political advocacy in media.28
Number of Tamils in Different Countries:
http://www.sangam.org/2007/06/Migration.php?uid=2440
Music
 M.I.A. a Sri Lankan Tamil born music artist from Great Britain has used her popular music as a platform to defend the Tamil fight in Sri Lanka. Her hit singles Sunshowers and Paper Planes contain politically charged lyrics which often refer to the Sri Lankan controversy among the Tamil and Singhalese populations. Her father, a former member of the LTTE was killed in combat during the civil war in Sri Lanka and since then, the singer has used her music as a voice to spread the news about the crisis in her native country. M.I.A. appeared on various US nighttime shows such as Tavis Smiley and Bill Maher where she expressed her concern and support regarding the Tamil fight for independence.
Although globalization has allowed Sri Lanka to finally be known on the international level, very little is done by the developed countries to solve this issue. Most people in the developed world have not even heard of the little island nation of Sir Lanka due to its geographical size and location. Because of the country’s limited media coverage and international concern, Sri Lanka is still fighting for justice among all the violence and destruction which continues to ravage the nation.
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To watch a You Tube Video about the conflict in Sri Lanka "Sri Lanka’s Dirty War," click on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poYN8ikai60
1 Country Profile: Sri Lanka. BBC. July 4, 2009
2 Timeline of Events: Sri Lanka. BBC. July 5, 2009.
3 Ibid.
4 Ibid.
5 Ibid.
6 Navaratnarajah, Alagaiah. Tamil Migration to the West. July 8, 2009
7 Council on Foreign Relations. LTTE. July 5, 2009.
8 Ibid.
9 Ibid.
10 Ibid.
11 Ibid.
12 New Sri Lanka Peace Talks Begin. BBC. July 5, 2009.
13 Sri Lanka Talks End in Failure. BBC. July 5, 2009.
14 Long Live Tamil Elam. Palashkatha. July 5, 2009.
15 Ibid.
16 Calls for War Crimes Inquiry Over 20,000Civilian Deaths in Sri Lanka. Times Online. July 4, 2009.
17 Ibid.
18 Ibid.
19 Ibid.
20 Thousands March for Tamil Rights. BBC. July 04, 2009.
21 The Disappeared. Guardian.co.uk. July 5, 2009.
22 Tamils Against Genocide- London Protest. Sky News. July 04, 2009.
23 Ibid.
24 The Disappeared. Guardian.co.uk. July 5, 2009.
25 Ibid.
26 Sri Lanka Tamil Migration. Ilankai Tamil Sangam. July 5, 2009.
27 LTTE Forces Canadian Tamils to Sign Prepayment Forms. The Indian News. July 5, 2009.
28 Country Profile: Sri Lanka. BBC. July 4, 2009
* Images: http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/lknewz.gif, http://www2.irb-cisr.gc.ca/images/researchpub/research/maps/LKA_C.gif, http://wsws.org/images/2009apr/a13-lond-480.jpg, http://indieuniverse.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/mia.jpg |
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