Conflict In Sri Lanka Essay

There have been countless violent conflicts throughout history. This violence can stem from internalized conflict, major political differences, ethnic tensions, misuse of administrative power, and any other number of other factors. Sri Lanka is a prime example of just how conflict can arise. By examining the history, ethnic divides, and political structure of Sri Lanka is it possible to isolate some of the exact factors that lead to civil war and genocide in independent states.

Sri Lanka was established as the Portuguese controlled island of Ceylon in 1505. The island had previously been under the control of two main ethnic groups; the Tamil and the Sinhalese, who had immigrated to the island from India in the 3rd and 5th centuries B.C.E respectively, along with a number of smaller ethnic groups. The Tamil controlled the

The circumstances of a country’s formation can lend a lot of foresight as to that country’s future. Some develop independently of outside forces –some even in spite of outside forces- while others are left to struggle to gain some semblance of order when those who had previously occupied the territory abandon the area. From this instability, this struggle for order, often comes troubling times marked by war and genocide. From the events that transpired in Sri Lanka, it can be concluded that while the vacuum in power can lead to massive conflict when there are multiple factions, incapable to properly cooperating, vying for political power, the most significant factor is clearly seen as major differences in ethnic identity. Neither factor will necessarily lead to war when presented singularly, but when combined will almost always ensure