Explain any four causes of ethnic …

• The principal players in the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka are Sinhala, who are the majority community, and Tamil who are the minority community.
• The Sri Lanka crisis continues to be violent. However, international actors, particularly the Scandinavian countries such as Norway and Iceland have been trying to bring the warring groups back to negotiations. The future of the islands hinges on the outcome of these talks.
• Sinhalese are hostile to Tamils (who had migrated from India to Sri Lanka) and settled there. The Sinhalese believe that Sri Lanka should not give concessions to the Tamils because Sri Lanka belongs to the Sinhalese only. The neglect of Tamil concerns led to militant Tamil Nationalism. From 1983 onwards, the militant organisation LTTE has been fighting an armed struggle with the army of Sri Lanka and demanding Tamil Elam or a separate country for the Tamils of Sri Lanka.
   

The Sri Lankan Tamils launched parties and struggle for the recognition of Tamil as an official language, for regional
autonomy and equality of opportunity in securing education and jobs. But their demand for more autonomy to provinces
populated by the Tamils was repeatedly denied. By 1980s several political organisations were formed demanding an
independent Tamil Eelam (State) in northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka.
The distrust between the two communities turned into widespread conflict. It soon turned into a CIVIL WAR. As a result
thousands of people of both the communities have been killed. Many families were forced to leave the country as
refugees and many more last their livelihood.