Consequences of the Sinhalese-Tamil Conflict

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Consequences of the Sinhalese-Tamil Conflict

• Explaining the Factors

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Factors (Consequences)

• Political
• Armed Conflict
• Foreign Intervention
• Economic
• Unemployment
• Loss of Investments from other Countries
• Fall in the Number of Tourists
• Social
• Sri Lankan Tamils Driven Out of their Homeland

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Types of Questions Asked

• You can be asked which is the WORST consequence
• Political, Social or Economic (One will be the
  Given Factor and the other 2 will be the Other
  Factors)
• OR
• You can be given ONE CONSEQUENCE AS THE GIVEN
  FACTOR and asked which is the WORST
• Armed Conflict, Foreign Intervention,
  Unemployment, Loss of Investments from other
  Countries, Fall in the Number of Tourists, Sri
  Lankan Tamils Driven Out of their Homeland (One
  will be the Given Factor and the other 2 will the
  Other Factors)

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Political Armed Conflict

• One consequence of the Sinhalese-Tamil conflict
  has been an armed conflict between the LTTE
  (Tamil Tigers) and Sinhalese government forces.
• When the Tamils peaceful demands were rejected,
  a group of youths formed the LTTE (Tamil Tigers)
  who believed that violence was the only way to
  demand and obtain rights for the Tamils.
• Riots which occurred in the 1980s between the
  Tamils and the Sinhalese sparked off a long armed
  conflict between the Sinhalese government forces
  and the LTTE (Tamil Tigers).

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Political Armed Conflict

• This has led to a bitter 20 year war between the
  Sinhalese government and the LTTE and has cost
  more than 60,000 lives and has resulted in other
  economic and social consequences which have
  affected Sri Lanka.

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Results of the Armed Conflict
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Tamil villagers identify the bodies of their
loved ones killed during clashes between
government forces and Tamil Tigers
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1983 Riots in Sri Lanka
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Aftermath of the 1983 Riots in Sri Lanka
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Political Foreign Intervention

• The Sinhalese-Tamil conflict attracted the
  attention of India who decided to mediate between
  the government and the Tamil Tigers following the
  1983 riots. Unfortunately, the dialogue failed
  because both parties could not come to an
  agreement.
• In 1987, the Indian government wanted to help the
  Tamils in India and sent ships to Jaffna with
  humanitarian aid. The ships were turned back by
  the Sri Lankan Navy. However, the next day,
  Indian Air Force planes violated Sri Lankan
  air-space and dropped the humanitarian aid into
  Jaffna.

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Political Foreign Intervention

• India also pressured Sri Lanka to sign a peace
  accord. In 1987, when the Tamil Tigers failed to
  surrender their weapons, the Indian troops took
  control of them by force.
• Clashes broke out between the Indian peacekeeping
  troops and the Tamil Tigers until the Indian
  forces were withdrawn in 1990.

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Political Foreign Intervention

• The consequences of Indias foreign intervention
  failed to solve the conflict and could have
  worsened it when its troops clashed with the
  Tamil Tigers. With its involvement, the Indian
  government showed no respect for the Sinhalese
  government, causing further resentment against
  the Indian troops and the Tamils in Sri Lanka.

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Indian peacekeepers on a mission against the
Tamil Tigers in Jaffna
Indian peacekeepers in Sri Lanka
Indian military support heading to Sri Lanka
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Economic - Unemployment

• The Sri Lankan riots of 1983 lead to massive
  unemployment. Both Tamils and Sinhalese lost
  their jobs. Many of the jobless Sinhalese also
  took part in vandalising, looting and burning
  their places of work.
• With unemployment and the subsequent destruction
  of places of work would result in suffering and
  economic hardship for Sri Lanka and its citizens.

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Wrecked businesses following the 1983 Riots in
Sri Lanka (also known as Black July)
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Economic Loss of Investment

• The Sri Lankan conflict has scared off potential
  investors to Sri Lanka who are afraid that the
  instability in the country would cause them to
  lose their investments.
• With a loss of investment, Sri Lanka cannot grow
  its economy, re-build damaged infrastructure or
  create jobs

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Economic Fall in the Number of Tourists

• The Sri Lankan conflict has scared off many
  tourists who do not dare to travel to Sri Lanka.
  As tourism is one of Sri Lankas major income
  earners, there has been a fall in tourism
  earnings and a loss of tourism-related jobs.
• With a loss of foreign investment and a drop in
  tourist earnings, Sri Lanka cannot get the funds
  needed to re-build infrastructure or to develop
  attractive amenities and facilities causing the
  country to be in a state of continuous financial
  hardship.

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Tourist Attractions in Sri Lanka
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Social Sri Lankan Tamils Driven Out of Homeland

• Following the 1983 riots, thousands of Tamils
  fled to India
• In the early 1990s, the Sri Lankan Army set up
  High Security Zones (HSZ) where access is
  controlled and occupied large parts of
  Tamil-dominated areas to deal with the Tamil
  Tigers.
• Due to this conflict, many Tamils have fled from
  their homes and live in overcrowded refugee camps.

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Social Sri Lankan Tamils Driven Out of Homeland

• Most Tamils have lost their homes as a result of
  the conflict and have to suffer in overcrowded,
  unhygienic conditions in refugee camps. Many
  families have also been broken up or separated
  during the fighting and many Tamils have suffered
  during the 20 years or so of endless conflict,
  robbing them of a bright future in their country.

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Tamils fleeing Sri Lanka by ship following the
1983 Riots
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Tamils fleeing from their homes in Jaffna, the
northern part of Sri Lanka