Sri Lankan Ethnic Conflict Essay

Sri Lanka, the beautiful island of gems has moved on to its 6th year after the successful victory over the militant group Liberation Tigers Tamil Eelam. The conflict of 30 years between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil separatist groups has not only created devastating emotions but also a history of its own. Sri Lanka thus in 2009 saw the beginning of a new history of a post-war era. It is a moment where government has to prove as well as take up the responsibility to create integrity and harmony in this small little island. And to build a new nation with integrity, the focus should be on the root causes which lead to a 30 year old conflict. This chapter gives a brief history of the conflict and the root causes for it.
Introduction
The major reason for the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka can be traced back to its colonial history. As was seen

The Sinhalese are supposed to have arrived in Sri Lanka in late 6th century BC, probably from northern India. Centuries later, Buddhism was brought in by some missionaries sent by Asoka, the Mauryan emperor from India. The religion grew around Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa.
The Tamil speaking population of Sri Lanka can be classified into two groups. The main group is the Sri Lankan Tamils whose ancestors arrived from southern India over more than a period of two millennia. While the other group the Indian Tamils or Plantation Tamils also known as Hill Country Tamils or Estate Tamils. These were the people whose ancestors were brought from India by the British to work on plantations down south in Sri Lanka.
Background of Ethnic Conflict
There were varied reasons for the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. Some of them include the ethnic politics, interpretation of past and history, language, education, land and employment. According to a report by World Bank , the root causes of the conflict