Is simple misunderstandings.
The root cause of the conflict in Sri Lanka is just that- one big misunderstanding.
You take something embarrassingly simple- co-existence of two races in harmony on shared land- and add layers upon layers of complexity that you no longer see the core issue.
I will be so bold (you may say naive) as to summarize the conflict in Sri Lanka in a few simple annotated statements/claims.
(s1) The minority Tamils in Sri Lanka were (claimed to have been) discriminated against by the majority Sinhalease.
After independence from the British, in addition to English, Tamil’s have had to learn the Sinhala language.
I hope this list can be more ably filled by some Tamil reader friends with first hand accounts of such discrimination …
(s2) There have been several violent Sinhala-Tamil riots which strengthened the separatist cause.
Most notably, the one in 1983, where over a thousand Tamil civilians were massacred by organized Sinhalease thugs.
(s3) LTTE terrorists (supported by donations from expatriate Sri Lankan Tamils) are fighting a bloody terrorist war against the government- at terrible cost to both Sinhala and Tamil civilians- with the end-goal of carving out a separate ethnically pure Tamil state.
The LTTE started small as a group of organized Tamil thugs, but now is the “self-proclaimed sole representative of the Tamil people” by virtue of killing most of the moderate Tamil leaders.
The LTTE have killed more Tamils than, the total number who died during the 1983 Black July and since.
(s4) Expatriate Tamils, who support the LTTE, believe that in a unitary Sri Lanka, sans LTTE terrorists (as a balancing factor), Tamil civilians will continue to be discriminated against.
But Sri Lanka of today is not the Sri Lanka of 1983.
(s5) The party politics of Sri Lanka, where the concept of national solidarity is alien to the opposition, has created a favorable situation for the separatist cause.
Terrorists can “bora diye malu banna”, or “fish in murky waters”- this is the saddest part of all.
Above 5 statements/claims summarize the layers of complexity surrounding the core issue.
But the main problem that need to be solved is:
If possible, to establish the political, administrative, and judicial structure so that the “peaceful co-existence of Sinhala and Tamil races on shared land” is possible.
Contrary to what the international community believes and what some expatriate Tamils believe, IT IS POSSIBLE.
Proof: Colombo.
If there are any doubters come down to Colombo and talk to ordinary Tamil and Sinhala civilians.
Observe how Sinhalease and Tamils interact in work-places, in Schools and Universities.
Observe Sinhalease and Tamils who are neighbors.
Observe Sinhalease worshipping shared deities- God Kandasamy, God Visunu, God Shiva, God Ganesh…
Observer life as it is.
Because the root of enlightenment is true understanding.
Lakbima Blog 
February 7, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Of course, peaceful co-existence of Sinhalese and Tamils is always possible we do not have extremist elements in both side, or at least keep them under control.
But how to get rid of LTTE, JHU and JVP so easily?
February 7, 2008 at 2:54 pm
>> But how to get rid of LTTE, JHU and JVP so easily?
The way to getting rid of LTTE is straight forward.
It is the same for any terrorist organization- remove or incapacitate the head.
It is not necessary to destroy all LTTE carders. Only the top leadership.
Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman removed will be nine tenth of the battle won.
When the head is cut off, the rest of the beast will fall.
Most of the ordinary low order LTTE carders (not the black tigers) are innocent poor Tamil youth, who did not have any option other than join the LTTE. After the war, they can be rehabilitated, even given a part in the reconstruction and development efforts that will follow.
>> On the JVP
JVP is not a threat.
They have the seats in parliament because they were in coalition with the SLFP led coalition. They tried contesting on their own as a test of their strength during a provincial election but they had a humiliating defeat.
They just have loud mouths and think they know everything.
A JVP led southern uprising is impossible.
Today’s youth are in general not the same crowd as in 1971 and 1989- the Sirasa led, FM and media culture has by and large successfully sanitized both urban and rural youths to nationalistic issues.
Somawansa Amarasinghe is a joke- a blast from a past, that is pathetically out of touch with reality.
Many old JVPers don’t even like him.
Anyway, contrary to appearances, the President probably have the JVP under a very tight leash.
>> On the JHU
They came to power on the wake of the Venerable Soma Theor’s death.
Most people that voted for them wouldn’t repeat the mistake again.
Besides, what JHU preached was peaceful co-existence in a Sinhala Buddhist country.
Sri Lanka was a Sinhala Buddhist country ever since King Devanam Piyatissa embraced Buddhism from the Maha Mahinda Thero- the son of King Ashoka of India- over 2000 years ago. Despite periodic invasions from Indian and Western sources, Sri Lanka has faithfully remained a Sinhala Buddhist country till today. Despite all the propaganda to the contrary, and despite unfortunate incidents like the 1983 Black July, the vast majority of Sri Lankans have always been tolerant of minorities.
JVP and JHU both have educated people capable of rational thinking.
The current president is more than capable of working with them and ironing out their ‘alleged extremist tendencies’
🙂
February 7, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Patavi,
I see you represent the Sinhalese extremist view and also understand why you do not see JHU or JVP as parts of the mess. Unfortunately this extremist racist mindset is common in Colombo. Both these parties are as much as racist as LTTE and elimination of them (or at least politically neutralise them) is an essential condition of solving the ethnic issue. Of course this applies to Sinhala racists in Mahinda camp too.
February 7, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Wow…such virulent hate towards the JVP and the JHU…but how many people even know what these parties represent?
I, for one, do NOT want to see the JVP go anywhere. Firstly, being Marxist or patriotic or even nationalistic is not tantamount to being racist. Wanting a unitary state is also not being racist. How did the JVP suddenly become racist? I don’t think a party who wanted a Tamil as PM is racist by any means. Howver, it is not a party that is popular in Colombo, because they represent the masses as opposed to the jet-set crowd in Colombo. We most certainly need such a party.
As for the JHU, I’d like to see them gone. This country has had enough divisions – why have parties based on religion? Besides, they have no coherent political manifesto either. But as much as the JHU are termed racist for representing a certain ethnic type, so are the SLMC, TNA, TULF, PLOTE, EPDP and all the other alphabet combinations that claim to look after the rights of a specific ethnic group. Along with the JHU, they should all be eliminated.
Kadiragamar, Fernandopulle etc have all shown that minorities can all rise to important positions in a normal political party.
February 7, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Aravinda,
>> I see you represent the Sinhalese extremist view and
>> also understand why you do not see JHU or JVP as parts of the mess.
What exactly is the “Sinhalese extremist view”?
Is there such a thing as a “Tamil extremist view”?
>> Unfortunately this extremist racist mindset is common in Colombo.
Do you know this for a fact?
Are you located in Colombo, or have lived at least a few months in the city during the last ten years?
>> Both these parties are as much as racist as LTTE and elimination of them
>> (or at least politically neutralise them)
>> is an essential condition of solving the ethnic issue.
As Queen points out, do you have an adequate background knowledge on the policies, and actions of these parties?
What racist actions have JVP and JHU carried out? Name a few please.
How do they compare with the racist actions of the LTTE?
Based on these, can you conclude that LTTE and the JVP/JHU are in the same level of racism?
>> Of course this applies to Sinhala racists in Mahinda camp too.
Well, again, could you humor my ignorance and give me a brief definition of “Sinhala racism”?
February 7, 2008 at 11:21 pm
Comparing JHU, JVP with LTTE is one of the most pathetic and ludicrous argument.
JHU is far more peaceful organization compared to LTTE. And setting that a side, JHU operates under democratic system. LTTE is unfortunately not. LTTE exists long before JHU, so JHU is not a root cause of anything. And it is a tiny political party with relatively very little political support. If we can bring LTTE in to JHU level, war is over.
JVP is responsible for far more Sinhalese death than any other. And it is not an organization base on tribal politics. Most of all, right now JVP is also a democratic party. If we can bring LTTE in to JVP level, war is over.
Now come to the ethnic issue, it is quite true Sinhalese used to look at Tamils as deferent tribe trying to continue the power they had over Sinhalese under British rule. Sinhalese didn’t quite like Tamils – especially whey Tamils brag back then, how they wanted to make shoes out of Sinhalese skin and when all Sinhalese had to get up from chairs and offer that to Tamils after passing Anuradapura station in the Yala Devi Train. And Tamils have not done anything since then to this day to gain any bit of trust from Sinhalese either.
That do not mean Sinhalese have not discriminated against Tamils. They did. They still do. They still do just like how they discriminate against Rich people, poor people, lower cast people, higher cast people, educated people, university freshmen, pedestrians, and school children, men with long hair, woman with short hair, childless mothers, widowers, homosexuals and all that.
I think root of all evil is, not having a true democracy in the country or not understanding what is democracy is really is. Every time when we try to provide political power to Muslims or Tamils or any other tribes in that manner, we seriously damage the democratic system and also we create extra ton load of problems in the long run. That is what we have doing for the longest. And that is how we try to solve this problem even right now.
In real democracy, political power should pass down to individual rather than to tribes or religions. Countries like America, understood this, and now they parish. Right now, still we try to create and cater to religious and tribal leaders rather than work toward individual freedom. I think that is the root of all evil in Sri Lanka and that is still there and it not going to fade away any sooner. If it is not tribe, if it is not poor southerners with socialist point of view, or if it is not religious people, some other group will pop up with totally deferent set of problems in the future. Who knows! That could be gay mafia?
My point is, LTTE is not the only group rebel against the government. Root of evil is not racism. It is just a part of a bigger problem. We should have accept and respect everyone, Tamils, Muslims, homosexuals, university freshman, rich people, single mothers and all that without creating specific categories in the political system. Because those category changes – before it was religion – right now it is tribe and future that will be something else.
Now talking about Colombo, there is no major tribal issue in Colombo because there are other disadvantaged groups than tribes. Colombo is a perfect example how society change and interest shift from one issue to other. Take the group of new parents in Colombo trying to solve school problem for their first 5 year old. They can be Tamil or Sinhalese. But that is a new group with deferent set of problems. Tribal issue is not relatively a big issue in Colombo any more. There are other bigger issue there right now.
February 8, 2008 at 4:50 am
Sam,
I think you have hit the nail right in the head- a very insightful comment.
I do have to agree with what you said about democracy being ultimately about bringing the political power down to individual level.
I think blogging like this is one such early form of “democracy at an individual level”.