The modern history of Sri Lanka commenced when the island gained independence from British colonial rule in 1948. The Sinhalese majority, now politically in control, had resented the favoritism shown to the ethnic Tamils under the British, and soon after independence the new government passed a law that rescinded the citizenship of nearly one million Tamils of Indian origin. Later legislation disenfranchised many other Tamils. The end result was that Tamil representation in the island's government became nearly nonexistent. In 1956, the government enacted a law making Sinhalese the sole official language of Sri Lanka. Along with the cultural indignation, this law effectively prohibited ethnic Tamils from any government jobs. The law's enactment led to widespread riots, and low-level conflict continued throughout the sixties. In 1970 a government plan to restrict Tamil access to universities resulted in the formation of the "Tamil Students Movement" which was soon forced underground where it turned to violent means. The group became further militarized in 1972 when a new Sri Lankan constitution included several anti-Tamil provisions. Several groups grew out of the Tamil Students Movement including the Tamil New Tigers (TNT), Tamil Elam Liberation Organization (TELO). The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were officially founded in 1976, and it quickly grew to become the preeminent resistance organization on the island. In May 1976 the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) called for the establishment of a separate Tamil state encompassing Sri Lanka's northern and eastern areas. Efforts to win its objectives politically proved futile and the stage was set for an escalation of tactics. The first major battle between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government began with the 1983 LTTE ambush of Sri Lankan soldiers in Tamil city of Jaffna. This sparked widespread anti-Tamil riots by the Sinhalese. This resulted in sustained warfare between the two groups, and heavy fighting continued unabated until 1987 when the LTTE, under pressure from an Indian military peacekeeping units, signed the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord and surrendered much of its weaponry. The accord broke down later that same year, and fighting resumed between the LTTE and the government forces now aided by the Indian military. A 1989 cease-fire allowed the Indian army to withdraw from the quagmire, but the failure to secure a permanent peace forced the government to again declare all-out war against the Tamils. The fighting raged inconclusively for four more years and LTTE members were convicted of assassinating Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. They were also implicated in the 1993 assassination of Sri Lanka President Ranasinghe Premadasa. Chandrika Kumaratunga became president of Sri Lanka in 1994 and promised to make peace with the Tamils, but her unwillingness to surrender partial sovereignty of the island to the Tamils ensured the continuance of violence throughout the decade. The end of 2001 brought new hopes for the island's embattled population. New Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickramasinghe has pledged to resume peace talks, and on January 2, 2002, he conceded a key demand to the Tamils by announcing an end to the government's economic embargo of Tamil areas. Both sides had stuck to a cease-fire, but it may break down after an outbreak of violence on April 9, 2004. |
||||
 |
||||
| What's Next: Connected Groups |
|
|
|