Sri Lanka By: Molly Holmes and Jenna Fulton

Where and Why the ethnic groups are there Sri Lanka consist of three main ethnicities… Sinhalese- 74% of the population ○ Buddhist but speak Sinhalese ○ Emigrated from Northern India to the southern part of the island Tamils- 16% of the population ○ Hindu but speak Tamil ○ Traveled across land bridge from India to inhabit the northern part of the island Moors- 10% of the population ○ Islamic but speak either Sinhalese or Tamil ○ Emigrated from Southwest Asia to the Eastern part of Sri Lanka

Major Cause of Ethnic Conflict A major cause of the conflict in Sri Lanka is caused by the unequal distribution of power among ethnicities. Sinhalese dominate the government, military, imports, and exports. Tamils and Moors feel discriminated against because of their difference in ethnicity combined with their lack of power Sinhalese are Buddhists and Tamils are Hindus, so the difference in their religions sparked conflict

Cultural Conflict Each of the three main ethnicities have a different culture, including religion. These differences in opinion cause tension between the ethnicities. The minority ethnicities, Tamil and Moor, feel like there religions and ideas are being suppressed. This lead to a rebellion, headed by the Tamils in 1983

Outside Influences This war for power was put off for a while, when Europeans had control over the island Tamils from places other than Sri Lanka encouraged them to rise up and be given equal power A tsunami in 2004 killed thousands of people and increased the friction between the Tamils and Sinhalese because of internally displaced people crowding different ethnicities territories.

Timeline Sinhalese moved from India to Sri Lanka. 5th Century B.C. Tamils migrated from India to Sri Lanka 3rd Century B.C. Sri Lanka gained independence from Great Britain 1948 Sinhalese made Buddhism Sri Lanka’s official language Buddhism 1956 The war between the Sinhalese and Tamils ends and the Sinhalese win. 2009

Connection to the Five Themes Location Sri Lanka Place Sri Lanka is a very diverse country but hasn't recovered from its civil war between the Sinhalese and Tamil and a considerable amount of people are near poverty. Region The Sinhalese, Tamil, and Moor each had different “territories” where they were the majority ● Sinhalese- Southern Sri Lanka ● Tamil- Northern Sri Lanka ● Moor- Eastern Sri Lanka Human-Environment Interaction A tsunami caused devastation and increased tension between the ethnicities. Movement The tsunami caused to move farther inland because there homes were destroyed Many Tamils fled after and toward the end of the war because of fear of what the Sinhalese would do to them for rising up.

Possible Solutions Sri Lanka could split into two or three different countries each run by a different ethnicity. This would end feuding over government representation between them. But it would leave each ethnicity with less power and land. The could adopt a new system of government similar to the United States in which each branch would be run by a different ethnicity. A checks and balances system would ensure that no certain ethnicity overpowers another. Pass a law that would give the internally displaced people a home Not having a growing minority population in certain places would make the majority feel less threatened.

Relevant Video

Questions 1. Did the Moors play a role in the conflict between the Sinhalese and the Tamils? 2. What was the major cause of the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict? 3. Do you believe the sides were fair or did one side have more power than the other? 4. What were the Tamils the first to do? 5. What tactics did the Tamils use against the Sinhalese?

Works Cited rebellion-and-self-determination/ tsunami/100878/