Social Studies Causes of Conflict in Sri Lanka

Sample Essay Structure

P Refusing to give Tamils citizenship rights was one of the causes of conflict in Sri Lanka

Point – State the factor you are going to explain in the essay.

EE The Sinhalese government granted citizenship rights only to those who were born in Sri Lanka. Thus, the Ceylon Citizenship Act caused many Tamils to become stateless.

1 million Tamils did not gain citizenship. (Example)

India tried to help some Indian Tamils return to India however, about 100,000 Indian Tamils remained stateless.

Tamils helped to contribute to the economy through construction and working as tea plantation workers. However, their contribution was not recognised at all.

Elaborate with ExamplesProvide clear details about

- What happened?- Why did it happen?- Who did the situation

affect?- How were they affected?

An example is- A name e.g. Tamil Tigers- A place e.g. Jaffna- A number e.g. 10,000

Tamils

L Without citizenship, the Tamils were unable to vote for their government representatives.

They became angry and resented the Sinhalese government for refusing them the rights of citizenship.

They felt that the government neglected the Tamils.

This anger and hatred towards the government resulted in them going against the Sinhalese, leading into the conflict.

LinksShow the result and effect on people and country.Provide clear details about

- In what ways were the people / country affected?

- What was their reaction?- How did they feel about it?- What did they do about it?

Explain how the Sinhala Only Language Act caused the conflict in Sri Lanka.

[5]

The Sinhala Only Language Act caused the conflict in Sri Lanka.

After independence, the Sinhalese government made Sinhala the official language of Sri Lanka. The government also changed the administrative

Social Studies Causes of Conflict in Sri Lanka

language from English to Sinhala. Tamil civil servants were affected as they have to learn Sinhala within 3 years or lose their jobs.

The Act was unfair to Tamil civil servants as they could not become fluent in Sinhala quickly. Many lost their jobs or could not get promotions. The Tamils tried to protest peacefully but their requests were ignored by the Sri Lanka government. The Tamils felt they were unfairly treated and were angry with the government. This anger caused Tamils believe that the only way to solve the conflict was through violence and this caused greater tension between the Tamils and the Sinhalese.Explain how the resettlement of the Tamils led to the conflict in Sri Lanka.

[5]

The resettlement of the Tamils was one of the factors that led to the conflict in Sri Lanka.

After independence, the government decided to resettle poor Sinhalese peasants from the crowded areas to Tamil-majority areas. These peasants, Buddhist Monks as well as Sinhalese soldiers took over whole villages and they were also protected by the Sri Lankan Army. The Army used guns and violence to drive away the Tamils, making them homeless. These Tamils ended up staying in crowded refugee camps which usually have no clean water or electricity.

The Tamils were angry with the government for taking away their land and homes. They ended up having to compete with the Sinhalese for territory. In order to get their homeland back, some Tamils joined the LTTE and believed that violence was the only way to get back their homes. This anger towards the Sinhalese government led towards the conflict.

Explain how changes in university admission criteria caused the conflict in Sri Lanka.

[5]

The changes in university admission criteria was one of the causes of the conflict in Sri Lanka.

After independence, the government changed the university admission criteria. It was no longer based on merit. Tamils have to score higher marks compared to Sinhalese in the same examinations. This resulted in a great reduction of Tamil university students while Sinhalese students increased by a lot. Tamils were given limited places in popular university courses such as engineering and medical courses. There was also a strict quota of Tamil students in universities.

This resulted in Tamil students being deprived of university education and job opportunities. They felt that their future was deprived and

Social Studies Causes of Conflict in Sri Lanka

destroyed. They were very angry at the government and felt that they were biased against Tamils. Students ended up rioting and some joined the LTTE, leading to more conflict.