WESTWOOD SECONDARY SCHOOL

SOCIAL STUDIES
SECONDARY 3 (EXPRESS/NORMAL ACADEMIC)
SOURCE-BASED CASE STUDY (SRI LANKA)
Name: (
Date:

Class: Sec ..
Marks:

/ 15

Study the Background Information and the sources carefully, and then answer all the questions.
You may use any of the sources to help you answer the questions, in addition to those sources
you are told to use. In answering the questions you should use your knowledge of the topic to
help you interpret and evaluate the sources.

(a)

Study Source A.
Why was this news report published? Explain your answer.

(b)

[7]

Study Sources B and C.

How far does Source B agree with Source C? Explain your answer.

[8]

Who should be blamed for the continued violence in the Sri Lankan conflict?

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Read this carefully. It may help you to answer some of the questions.
The conflict between the Tamils and the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka has existed since 1948,
stemming from the feelings of unfair treatment by the Tamils from the Sinhalese. Peaceful
demands for fairer treatment made by the Tamils escalated into violence when their demands
were not met where a militant group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), also known
as the Tamil Tigers, resorted to violence to achieve its aim of independence from Sri Lanka.
Several attempts to resolve the conflict were made throughout years of fighting, but these were
not successful. Some of these included peace talks between representatives of groups,
ceasefire agreements and international mediation. Hostility remained between the two groups
and escalated to renewed violence in 2005 when the Sri Lankan army initiated an attack on the
LTTE, claiming that the LTTE violated the ceasefire agreement in the first place.
Study the following sources to find out more about the loss of lives in the Sri Lankan conflict.

Source A: A statement by one of LTTEs spokesperson as reported on CNN news network

The Sri Lankan army restarted its conflict by firing several thousand rounds of shells and
bombs, killing hundreds of civilians and injuring many more. The governments assumption of
the LTTE using the ceasefire to rebuild and regroup is a false accusation The LTTE is ready
to participate in political negotiations, if an immediate and permanent ceasefire is ensured and
the human rights abuses of LTTE prisoners of war are addressed.
Source B: Adapted from an online report from the Association for Womens Rights in
Development, Canada.
Each day women and children feel threatened and anxious knowing they are closely watched
by the Army. On one side the government declares that the war is over. Yet, large numbers of
soldiers are still stationed in Tamil resettled areas and refugee camps, to ensure that the women
and children do not pose a threat. The situation for these women and children do not look bright
for the government has announced new plans to take over the Tamil resettlement areas to
develop Sri Lankas tourism industries.

Source C: Adapted from a news report by The Independent, a British newspaper, on the end
of the conflict in Sri Lanka.
An independent investigation has revealed that despite suffering a terrible defeat on the
battlefield, the Tigers huge international funding from various organizations and smuggling of
arms network remains largely intact and the terror group is more than capable of rebuilding itself
with potentially devastating consequences for the future of peace in Sri Lanka. An estimated 80
per cent of the LTTEs funding came from overseas. The LTTE may have been destroyed
militarily but the international financing structure is still in place, says a Tamil leader recently.
Another prominent Tamil leader believes that the Tigers will continue to be powerful unless their
international sources of funding are cut off.