Modern Sri Lanka

John N LeeDepartment of Political Science

Florida State UniversitySpring 2011

Liberation Tigers for a Tamil Eelam(LTTE)

• Leader was Vellupillai Prabhakaran.• Eelam refers to Tamil Sri Lanka state (generally the Jaffna region).• Secessionist movement which means that LTTE want their own stateremoved from SriLanka proper.

Why Civil War?

• Conflict over language. British system favors Tamils (by accident), so Tamil individuals possess government jobs with higher per capita probability than Sinhala individuals.

Transition from British Rule

• British colonial rule ends in February 1948 and conflict begins shortly thereafter.

• Largely peaceful – ethnic elites are friendly. Two competing political parties alternate in and out of power.

Indian Tamils

• Indian Tamils are distinct from native Tamils.

– Migrate from India to work on tea plantations.

– 11.7% of population in 1946. 5.5% of population in 1981.

– Receive right to vote under 1978 constitution.

– 200,000 still considered stateless. Lowest socio-economic status group in Sri Lanka.

– Not involved in separatist conflict.

Tamil/Sinhal Origins

• Sinhala claim that Mahavamsa indicates that they were the first settlers of Sri Lanka (2500 years ago).

• Tamils claim that since South Indian ancestors land on Australia 40,000 years ago, and Americas 16,000 years ago, it makes sense to think that they came to Sri Lanka first (since it is closer than both).

• Really, both identities have same origins.

Sinhalese Propaganda

• Mahavamsa tells of King’s conflict against enemy forces. Some Sinhalese elite have argued that this was really a conflict between Buddhists and Tamils.– Not true, many Tamils were Buddhist and many

Sinhalese individuals were not Buddhist.

• Folklore promotes idea amongst Sinhalese nationalists that Sri Lanka is Sihidipa (the island of the Sinhalese) and the Dhammadipa (island to preserve and propegate Buddhism).

Constitutional Development

• Soulbury Constitution (1946) – state should not favor one ethnic group over another.– Endemic of “polyethnic” elites who do not think

nationalist identities will become problematic.

• After independence and as late as 1953 (e.g. banking) English is dominant language used by government.– “…a Government of the Sinhalese- or Tamil-speaking

6,200,000, by the English-speaking 20,000 Government servants, for the 400,000 English-speaking public (Sri Lanka State Council Report, 1946).”

Swabasha Movement

• Literally means self-language movement.– Recognizes that dominant status of English

marginalizes Sinhalese/Tamil speakers.

– Largely a Sinhalese led movement (Tamils are more likely to know English).

– Some Tamils are supportive of the movement.

• October 1953 – Chairman of the Official Languages Commission issues first call for Sinhalese-speaking only government.

Swabasha Movement

• Sinhala-Only Act (1956)

• Riots in the 70’s/80’s.

• Contemporary efforts to bring about linguistic harmony seem “too little too late.”

LTTE

• Forms on May 5, 1976.

• Goal: Tamil Eelam with Marxist ideology.

• At one point controlled most of N. Sri Lanka.

• Organization has two wings – military and political. LTTE leader oversees both wings.

• Three military wins – “Sea Tigers,” “Air Tigers”, and “Charles Anthony Regiment.”

LTTE

• Fighters undergo “special training.”

• 1983 – Women’s Front of the Liberation Tigers is formed, exclusive training camp set up in 1987.– High recruitment because women are suffer severe

repression.

– By 2002 of 17,000 LTTE deaths, women account for 4,000.

• Black Tigers – Suicide Squad.– 100 attacks done by women. Famously kill Rajiv

Gandhi (Indian PM, 1991).

LTTE

• Tiger Cubs – Children’s wing of LTTE, initially non-military but by 1984 the wing becomes militant.

– 40% of LTTE forces between the ages of 9-18. Study suggests that after 1987 60% of dead LTTE fighters were under 18, and most were 10-16 years old.

• Defeat – Prabhakaran is killed 18 May 2009, government later “defeats” LTTE and ends civil war, although small activity is still ongoing.