The beginnings of the Conflict

1
The beginnings of the Conflict

• The origins of
• the Sinhala-Tamil conflict in Sri Lanka
• http//dh-web.org/place.names/posts/conflict.ppt

2
A bit of History

• Jaffna Peninsula ( Yapa Patuna) captured by the
  Portuguese by defeating Sinhalese General
  (Athapattu Dissava) in 1591
• The Dutch captured all Portuguese territories (
  Green) by 1658.
• The Dutch brought Malabar Tamils to grow
  tobacco in the North (Jaffna)
• http//dh-web.org/place.names/posts/conflict.ppt

3
British colonial rule

• The British drove out the Dutch, and took over
  the Kandyan kingdom by a treaty signed in 1815 .
• Kandyan peasants ousted for Land
• The 1910 ruling council had 2 Europeans, one
  Burgher and one Tamil (Sir Ponnambalam
  Ramanathan) of the highest caste for all
  Ceylonese.
• Divide and rule policy of promoting the minority
  against the majority.
• http//dh-web.org/place.names/posts/conflict.ppt

4
G. G. Ponnambalam from Casteism to Racism

• G. G. Ponnambalam, a young Tamil Lawyer opposes
  Donoughmore reforms and rejects the one nation
  of Ceylonese concept and calls himself a proud
  Dravidian (Hansard 1935).
• Claims that the Tamils were the first inhabitants
  of Sri Lanka.
• GGP begins violently racist politics, verbally
  attacking the Sinhalese the Mahavamsa. The
  campaign leads to the first communal riot in
  1939, quickly put down by the British.
• http//dh-web.org/place.names/posts/conflict.ppt

5
Tamil opposition to Universal voting rights

• Donoughmore commission (1929 CE) proposes one
  vote per adult (universal suffrage).
• Tamil leaders TOTALLY OPPOSED UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE,
  and Sinhala Majority rights. They also asked for
  the caste system in the constitution.
• G G Ponnambalam demands 50 seats for Sinhala 75
  and 50 seats for the 15 Tamils minorities.
• 5050 equal rights.
• http//dh-web.org/place.names/posts/conflict.ppt

6
D.S. Senanayaka and the Ceylonese cabinet

• S. W. R. D. Banadaranike begins to oppose G. G.
  Ponnambalam in the 1930s forming Sinhala Maha
  Sabha
• D. S. Senanayake (One Nation of Ceylonese) wins
  independence in 1948 and forms the first
  Government under the UNP. Both G. G. P and SWRD
  join the UNP cabinet.
• http//dh-web.org/place.names/posts/conflict.ppt

7
The Indian Citizenship Act 1949

• Indian Citizenship Act (ICA) is passed giving
  citizenship to all those with 7 years Ceylon
  residence.
• Tamil congress supports it, but Chelvanayagam
  calls G. G. Ponnambalam a Traitor.
• Several up-country Tamil MPs (Thondaman's Party)
  were disqualified due to the ICA.
• Chelva goes to court against ICA and looses. The
  Privy Council (UK) aclaims the ICA.
• In 1978 JRJ gives citizenship to all Indian
  Tamils.
• http//dh-web.org/place.names/posts/conflict.ppt

8
Arasu and Sinhala only

• lankai Thamil Arasu Kadchi (Lanka Thamil
  Sovereignist Party) claimed in 1949 that the
  North and East are EXCLUSIVE TAMIL HOMELANDS,
  and that the land has to be liberated from the
  invaders (Molsems and Sinhalese)
• In English it was the Federal Party of Ceylon.
  SWRD 's Sinhala Only cry of 1956 was used by
  Chelvanayagam to organize civil obedience
  designed to increase ethnic polarization and
  division.
• A series of communal riots took place.
• Standardization of University admissions was used
  to foment communal division.

9
The B-C Pact and its failure

• SWRD Bandaranaike and SJV Chelvanayagam signed
  the B-C Pact (1957) providing for the Thamil
  Arasu Kadchi demands.
• G.G. Ponna, the UNP, and the Bhikku Peramuna
  opposed it.
• The Tamil press hailed the B-C pact as first
  happy step to Sovereignty (Arasu). The Sinhala
  press claimed it to be incipient separatism.
• There was no effort at trust building. The pact
  was torn up in the face of opposition
• http//dh-web.org/place.names/posts/conflict.ppt

10
TULF, Vadukoddai (Batakotte) and Militancy

• Increasing tempo of communal riots (1939, 1956,
  1958, 1977, 1981, 1983). Tamil political parties
  form the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF).
• The 1976 Vadukoddai (Batakotte) resolution
  demanded the formation of a Tamil Eelam.
• Political assassinations of moderate Tamils began
  in 1975
• Picture of Chelva with Sivakumaran, who became
  the first cyanide-suicidee.
• http//dh-web.org/place.names/posts/conflict.ppt

11
Rise of the LTTE - eliminating dissent.

• Shanmuganathan-1998, Thiruchelvam- 1999,
  Aputharaj- 1999, Soundaranayagam-2000, Chandra
  nehru 2005, Kadirgamar, 2005 Pararajasingham-200
  5, Raviraj - 2006, Sivamaharaja 2006,
  K.Loganathan-2006, Mahesvarahn, 2008, Sivanesan,
  2008, Fernandopulle, 2008
• Etc. .Etc.....
• Rajiv Gandhi 1991
• R. Premadasa -1993

• The boys nurtured by the TULF hijacked Tamil
  politics and become the sole representative of
  Tamils by murdering all Tamil opponents (
  others)
• Duraiappah -Mayor(1975), Canagaratnam-MP(1979),
  Thiyagarajah-MP(1981), Dharmalingam-MP(1985),
  Alalasundaram-MP(1985), Yogesvaran-MP(1989),
  Amirthalaingam-MP(1989), Thambimuttu-MP (1990),
  Kirubaran -1990 Yogasangari-(1990), Arunasalam-MP
  (1997), Maharoof-MP (1997) Etc.
  .Etc....http//dh-web.org/place.names/posts/confli
  ct.ppt

12
End justifies the means?

• TULF politicians as well as the LTTE boasted that
  they welcome state violence and will give it
  back in kind, ruthlessly.
• LTTE perfected suicide bombing, child soldiers,
  militarizing the feminine body, financial
  extortion and physical elimination of all
  opposition.
• The rich Tamil Diaspora funded arms purchases and
  world-wide propganda.
• Diplomats, academics and NGOs were funded to
  join the cause".
• http//dh-web.org/place.names/posts/conflict.ppt

13
Conclusion-Rise of LTTE militancy

• Armed Tamil militancy resulted from deliberate
  manipulative polarization of the two communities
  .
• Tamil opposition to universal suffrage, Sinhala
  majority politics led Tamil leaders to seek
  separation.
• This was spear-headed by the privileged Tamils,
  sacrificing the lower-castes and rural Tamils.
• Separatist agitation led to violence and enormous
  suffering to Tamils.
• Even today the rich Tamils of the Diaspora push
  for Eelam via the TGTE.
• http//dh-web.org/place.names/posts/conflict.ppt