Social Studies notes: Theme: Conflict in Multi-ethnic societiesChapter 4 Sec 3 Social Studies [X Ref – Bonding Singapore]

A) Causes of Sri Lanka Conflict

Factor Explanation

Sinhala only policy Sinhalese government declared Sinhala as the official language in 1956 by Official Language Act  Language test requirement for all Tamils who wanted to work in the Civil Service  had 3 years to master the language  if they failed test  sacked or could not be promoted  forced to learn another race’s language Tamils would not be as good in Sinhala compared to the Sinhalese   Sense of unfairness  more Sinhalese would pass the language test than Tamils  Tamils would lose their jobs  no income  families would suffer  anger towards the Sinhalese for creating this situation  Tension increases between races  conflict

No citizenship rights for Indian Tamils

Indian Tamils  Not given citizenship when SL became independent  no citizenship rights [Reasons for anger of Indian Tamils towards Sinhalese  raised tension  conflict between the 2 races]a) Indian Tamils had contributed to economy of Sri Lanka by working in the tea plantations  tea was a major export for SL yet the SL government did not reward them with citizenship Indian Tamils felt insulted  tension increasedb) no citizenship = no free education benefits, public housing rights  quality of life reduced  their families face bleak future hopeless and helpless  turned their anger towards the Sinhalese  tension increased.c) no citizenship = no voting rights + stateless  no power to change the SL government  felt even more helpless  Indian Tamils felt neglected  developed anger towards the Sinhalese tension increased. 

Unfair university admission criteria

University entry criterion made more stringent for Tamils Tamils have to score higher on entry tests to make it to local universities  e.g. for the Medicine course  Tamils needed a much higher mark of 250 as compared to just 229 to enter the course  effectively fewer Tamils could become doctors hence, fewer Tamils will graduate from university  could only work in lower paying jobs  Lower standard of living for the entire community  effectively the entire community’s future generations are condemned to a bleaker future since many are denied a higher education because of this discriminatory law against their race  No meritocracy  Tamils feel angry towards the Sinhalese because of such unfairness  increased tension between the races.

Resettlement Moved Sinhalese into Tamil-majority areas   Areas belonged to Tamils given to landless Sinhala peasants to grow “padi”/rice Tamils felt that their territory had been invaded  their property taken without permission  found this insulting  Sinhalese did not respect what belonged to the Tamils. Sinhalese moved in with their military  caused the Tamils to feel threatened Tamils felt helpless and could not stop Sinhalese action Sinhalese also brought with them their religious leaders Buddhist Monks  Tamils are Hindu  the presence of Buddhist monks meant that

the Sinhalese were also attempting to spread their religion  Tamils felt even more threatened and intimidated [Raised/increased] tension arose between the 2 races. [ Conflict – escalation of conflict/tension]

Actions by the colonial master Britain

Historical reasons 

Britain colonized SL (till 1947)  British favored the Tamils used English as official language  many Tamils learnt the language  given positions of responsibility (In the colonial government in SL  better off than Sinhalese during British rule Sinhalese were already unhappy with the Tamils from the colonial times  jealous of the Tamils’ favoured position with the British.

The discrimination by the Sinhalese towards the Tamils  a reaction to the Sinhalese wish to regain control of SL  aim was to rebalance the favoured position of the Tamils in favour of the Sinhalese  After the British left, Sinhalese wanted to regain their superiority  created a series of laws than reduced the influence of the Tamils  aimed at making the Sinhalese the more influential race in Sri Lanka and reduce the power and wealth of the Tamils who had benefited from British Rule series of discriminatory laws such as the Sinhala only Act and the more stringent University Admission Criteria for Tamils  led to Tamils being discriminated  further tension between the races created.

Historical factors/colonialism[Tamils picked up English Language and were educated in Colonial Sri Lanka] 

Many Tamils hired in the British colonial government before SL’s independence  Sinhalese were jealous of the special position Tamils enjoyed  Tamils were proficient in English  Sinhalese felt threatened by Tamils who were holding onto government jobs and were better educated  caused Sinhalese to create laws that favoured themselves but which discriminated against the Tamils  aim was to rebalance the privileges the Sinhalese believed the Tamils had enjoyed under colonial rule  hence the discrimination the Tamils’ experienced is linked to Sinhalese aim to win back control of Sri Lanka this perception of the Sinhalese is historical in nature and led to the Sinhalese discriminatory laws  this ensured that the Sinhalese would be the more influential race in post-colonial Sri Lanka  For example, the Sinhala only policy was aimed at removing the Tamils from the civil service  the policy itself was seen as discriminatory by the Tamils and raised tensions  conflict.

B) Consequences of Sri Lanka Conflict

Factor Explanation

Social consequence= Impact on the people minus economic matters

Jaffna = Northern area in Sri Lankan. 

Tamil were driven out of their town and villages by the Sinhalese forces  Aim was to clear Tamil majority areas of Tamil Tigers impossible to differentiate innocent Tamils from the LTTE members  Sinhalese soldiers decided to force ALL Tamils out of where they were living  these areas cleared of all Tamils including possible LTTE members  Developed HSZ (High Security Zones) set up by the Sri Lankan military.The Tamil civilians were fleeing their towns and villages and moving North  to escape the fighting between the LTTE and government forces  avoid being killed in the cross-fire.[ Fleeing of the Tamils = Tamils leaving their homes/towns/villagers ]

The Tamil refugees  in fleeing their homes  lose most ofTheir possessions, land and have no shelter over their heads lack of security + life becomes harsh as they are constantly on the move.

Many Tamils became refugees  Lived in deplorable conditions in refugee camps  exposed to the elements  poor nutrition and no proper shelter  cramped conditions  Diseases spread easily in these dirty conditions  many died or suffered from illness and malnutrition due to the lack of hygiene and proper food and clean water.= Humanitarian disaster  Hence serious and devastating consequence.

Political consequence =

Foreign intervention

Armed Conflict 

Foreign intervention  by India

Loss of national pride for the Sri Lanka government diminished/eroded international standing of SL government sovereignty violated through violation of airspace  message is SL was unable to defend itself and stop foreign nations from violating its territorial space.

Indians were aiding the SL Tamils  interference in Sri Lankan domestic affairs without their permission  SL govt lost the respect of the international community  danger of intervention by other states possible  further erosion of SL government’s reputation for being able to stand up for itself  Makes it more challenging for the SL govt. to be respectfully treated in its diplomatic relations with other states since India has set the precedent of disrespecting SL already.

Example: Peace accord( Peace treaty btw the SL govt and the LTTE)  SL forced to accept it  India was a militarily stronger nation  SL forced to accept the presence of Indian peace-keeping troops on SL soil  again sovereignty of SL violated. Presence of Indian troops did not end the war = The SL govt. was embarrassed.

Armed conflict  policies of the Sinhalese controlled SL government made the Tamils feel discriminated  Voiced their unhappiness peacefully to be treated properly  Tamil political parties asked for Tamil areas to be

considered a Federation for partial self-government  rejected  Tamil United Liberation Front which later became the Tamil Tigers emerged  asked for an independent Tamil State or Eelam  believed that since Tamils were neglected and discriminated  having their own state and caring for themselves was the best option  Sri Lankan government rejected idea  started the LTTE  use violence to obtain their rights  [Damage]  innocent people were killed in attacks on Sinhalese soldiers/police and government officials including Tamils  Led to retaliation by SinhaleseMany incidents of violence  Civil War started when 13 Sinhalese soldiers were killed by the LTTE  [Outcome]infrastructure destroyed  normal daily activities disrupted public services disrupted  roads and bridges destroyed money needed to rebuild such damage  strain on government finances  hence lower quality of life  people also get killed in fighting/bombing and families suffer pain of such loss   Civil war went on for almost 30 years and ended only in 2009 more than 60,000 people died  much of Sri Lanka did not develop during this time  hence armed conflict had a devastating and damaging impact.

Economic{Please fill this up yourselves}

(1) Drop in investments  Investors’ property may get damaged due to Terrorism and civil war No foreign investors like to come to Sri Lanka + existing ones flee  Unemployment

(2) Drop in tourists  Tourists do not want to be caught in cross-fire  may get killed or injured  avoid Sri Lanka completely as a tourists destinations  businesses linked to hospitality will close (3)

(3) Unemployment = Loss of jobs  Loss of income  Cannot support family  Live in poverty  standard of living drops.

Weighing Criteria = damage is not easily reversed

In conclusion, the most serious consequence of the Sri Lankan conflict is the political consequence of armed conflict as the outcome of armed conflict is the loss of thousands of lives which is irreversible. The loss of a family member is permanent and irreplaceable .  However, while the economic consequences of unemployment because of loss of tourism and investors are serious, it can be reversed once the civil war is over and things return to peace. Also, the social consequence of being a suffering refugee, while serious, is largely reversible once the war ends and the refugees return to their respective homes or areas.

C) Causes of Northern Ireland Conflict

Factor Explanation

Historical [ Lost of Fertile lands; Medieval Penal Laws; View of the Protestants as descendants of the English Invaders ]

Start point of NI conflict is historical  12th century  English who were Protestants invaded Ireland which was Catholic The Protestants in Northern Ireland are the descendants of the original British invaders. The past actions of the English Protestants were not done in favour of the Irish who are Catholics.

a) The invading English stole the fertile land + drove the Irish off the land  the Irish Catholics fled to the South  Those who stayed behind in the North were left with the less fertile land  Irish Catholics found themselves driven off their ancestral land because of poor farmland to grow crops to make a living Catholics became poorer standard of living fell angry towards the English Protestants and their descendants.

b) Protestant rulers came up with the Medieval laws that prevented the Catholics from owning land or having higher education  these laws designed to prevent the Catholics from being economically independent  The catholic community were being made poor by these laws created by the Protestants.  The medieval laws also prevented the Catholics from voting  this led to the Catholics being unable change the policies since they could not vote the protestants out  it was these laws created centuries earlier that created a legacy of discrimination against the Catholics and which made generations of Catholics hate Protestants  thus the root cause of the conflict between the 2 communities stretches back into history.

c) Finally, the Irish Catholics view the Protestants as the descendants of the original English invaders who took away their land and country and artificially divided Ireland into Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. Hence, the loyalties of the Catholics are towards the people of the Republic of Ireland and they yearn for reunification without the wish for a common destiny and future, the Catholics and Protestants are doomed to be divided and distrustful of each other.

Divided loyalties The Protestants loyal to Britain as the English are their ancestors and wanted NI to remain as part of Britain. Catholics wanted to break away from the UK and rejoin Northern Ireland, as the people in NI and ROI are from the same heritage but separated by the English invasion. Both communities were unable to see a common future for NI together deep differences on how to move NI forward politically Both sides distrusted each another’s political intentions and motives no common goal for the future of NI difficult to cooperate and trust each other led to tension between Catholics and Protestants. 

No voting rights for Catholics

Catholics up till 1969 were not allowed to vote Only citizens of NI who owned their own homes and businesses could vote and those who owned larger businesses could get more votes this system benefited the Protestants who were wealthier and the poorer Catholic community ended up with fewer votes This unfair electoral system led many Catholics to

dislike the Protestants for creating these laws to govern the number of votes per person This was in favour of the Protestants and guaranteed that the Protestants would be more likely to stay in power in NI and the Catholics would be less likely to vote in a government that would treat them more fairly sense of injustice and being trapped by the system led the Catholics to hate the Protestants even more.

Unfair allocation of housing

The city councils were controlled by the Protestants allocated the housing to citizens even though Catholic families were larger, they were given smaller homes + made of inferior material + Catholics had to wait longer for their homes than Protestants viewed as discrimination by the Catholics caused the Catholics to not have proper housing As most Catholics were poorer, they depended on government housing yet were “blocked” from gaining fair access to such housing Catholic quality of life was negatively affected and this made the Catholics dislike the Protestants increasing the tension between the 2 communities.

Separation of communities – lack of opportunities for social interaction.

Residential areasThe Catholics and the Protestants live in separate neighborhoods. This causes them to have minimal interaction with one another. This causes them to have a lack of understanding as they have little opportunity to interact and form friendships. Hence, the 2 communities remain physically separated with little opportunity for socializing. Thus when there are any misunderstandings between the 2 communities, there is little chance for the 2 sides to mediate as they have little understanding of none another. 

Separate school systemAlso, there are separate school systems in NI and this ensures that the 2 communities did not get much chance to interact with one another from a young age. Protestant pupils attended British schools which focus on British sports, history while the catholic schools focus on Irish sports and heritage. Thus from young, the 2 communities see themselves as different and thus this leads a lack of unity in NI. Thus the young of both sides never have a chance to interact and hence from young they view the other community with suspicion as there is little chance friendship or understanding to develop between the 2 communities.

Unequal employment opportunities

The Catholics were given the same chances for employment as the protestants. The Catholics were discriminate against in getting jobs in the government that was controlled by the protestants. Many of the large businesses in NI were also owned by Protestants and hence they preferred not to employ Catholics. Thus Catholics felt that they were not able to earn a living and take care of their families. As a result many catholic families were poor and had a poor quality of life not because the Catholics were less educated or able but simply because they were discriminated due to their religion. This made them angry with the Protestants as they controlled the government and the large businesses which refused to employ Catholics and this made the Catholic families suffer financially. Hence this caused Catholics to dislike the Protestants and thus raise tension between Catholics and Protestants. 

Bloody Sunday Bloody Sunday  (1972) British troops which had been sent to keep the

peace between the Catholics and protestants opened fired on peaceful Catholic protestors on a civil rights march Catholic civilians were killed  this angered the Catholics as the British Troops were supposed to be neutral and to keep the peace but ended up killing un armed Catholics  this was the last straw for the Catholics  felt that peaceful approach to fight for their civil rights was not effective  Catholics embraced the Irish Republican Army ( IRA)  this led to more Catholics endorsing violence and joining in the IRA  reduced likelihood for peaceful solution to the tension between the 2 communities  Bloody Sunday is the modern escalation of the Northern Ireland conflict.

Weighing for cause of NI conflict – Which is the main cause of conflict?

In conclusion, the main cause of conflict is divided loyalties because as long as the Protestants and the Catholics cannot see eye to eye on matters on the political future of Northern Ireland because of their divided loyalties, it will be impossible for either side to agree with one another on other matters and the likelihood of having tensions and suspicion will be higher OR Historical factors as this is the root cause of the hatred between the 2 communities.

D) Consequences of NI conflict

“The consequences of the NI conflict are solely negative.” How far do you agree? Explain.

Stand: I agree to a small extent as there was also a positive consequence.

Factor Explanation

Social (-) Some of the consequences were indeed negative……Social segregation Catholics and Protestants stayed in different residential areas. Separated by peace walls never had a chance to interact from young with members of the other community there is no level of comfort distrust and fear abounds. The 2 communities also separated in school and education different school systems.

Economic (-) Economic decline investors stayed away because of the unrest and the civil war fewer companies and few tourists businesses declined fewer jobs unemployment no income or low incomes standard of living in NI falls for both Catholics and Protestants.

Political Reform (+) However, there were positive political outcomes as well such as the signing of the peace agreements between the Catholics and the Protestants and the laying down of the arms by the IRA.This came about because the NI conflict was violent and there was pressure on the British government from the international community to make sure that a peaceful outcome between the IRA and the NI government was achieved by having a peace agreement between both the Catholics and the Protestants.

As a result of the conflict, Catholics today enjoy better treatment by the Protestants as the world started to pay attention to the plight of the Catholics and the discrimination they were facing because of the civil war. This attention forced the NI government and the British government to gradually seek ways to treat the Catholics better and give them equality. Hence, while the conflict created harm, it also led to fairer treatment for the Catholics eventually.