TAMIL History of SINHALA

two nations
In the island of
Srilanka
Part 1 of 2
 Sri Lanka is the name of the island
earlier known as Ceylon

Situated off the south eastern tip of

India, separated by 22 miles of
sea called the Palk Strait.
It covers an area of 25,322 square
miles almost the size of Ireland or
Tasmania and has a total
population of 18 million.
Evidence for presence of the Tamil
and Sinhala people in the island
dates back to over 2,500 years.
The island had three separate
kingdoms when first invaded by
the Europeans
 The European Colonial Era
1505 to 1815
1505 - Arrival of Portuguese - They first occupied the low
country Sinhalese areas in the south west of the Island.
1621 - Jaffna Tamil Kingdom fell to the Portuguese (more
than a century later).
1656 - Dutch occupied areas which were under Portuguese
control.
1802 - Treaty of Amiens - Dutch possessions ceded to the
British.
1815 - The Sinhalese Kandyan Kingdom in the central parts
conquered by the British, having annexed the Tamil
Vanni Kingdom in the north.
 Two nations in one island
"Two different nations, from a very ancient period,
have divided between them the possession of the
Island: the Sinhalese inhabiting the interior in its
Southern and western parts from the river
Wallouwe to Chilaw, and the Malabars (Tamils)
who possess the Northern and Eastern Districts.
These two nations differ entirely in their religion,
language and manners."
Sir Hugh Cleghorn, British Colonial Secretary, June 1879
 1883-Two nations brought under
one colonial administration
Both the Tamil People & Sinhalese people are indigenous people
of Sri Lanka.
Early history records that they had their own monarchs and
kingdoms. They were conquered by the colonial powers
separately and in different periods in history.
They existed as separate communities until the British brought
them together in 1883 under a single administration
for the very first time in their long history

The sources of the national conflict in Sri Lanka are historical, economic, cultural &
religious. In the words of David Selbourne of Ruskin College, Oxford,
it is "a true national question, if ever there was one".
The European Colonial Era
1833 to 1947
1833 -The British unified the island based on the
recommendations of Cole Brook - Cameron
Commission (purely for administrative convenience).
1931 - Donoughmore constitution - State Council
elected by Universal suffrage (the first people to
exercise universal suffrage in Asia).
1947 - Soulbury constitution adopted & general
elections held for the parliament of Ceylon.
 February 4th 1948
Change of Colonial Rulers
----------------------→
A unified state of Ceylon was declared independent

Political power handed to

Sinhala majoritarian rule driven
by Sinhala/Buddhist supremacy
as advocated by Mahavamsa & Anagarica Tharmapala

Sinhala Occupation of Tamil Eelam

ended British Occupation
The Sinhala-Colonial Era
1948 to 1956
 1948 - British grant independence under the Soulbury constitution.
The parliament, with its entrenched Sinhalese majority, legislates to
disenfranchise Tamils of [recent] Indian origin who have lived there
for generations and have always exercised their franchise. The
Tamil people lost almost half of their representation in the
parliament.
1948-ON WARDS - The state aided colonisation of Sinhalese
people in Tamil areas promoted to annex Tamil homelands and
further reduce Tamil representation in the parliament.
 1956 - The Sinhalese Language made the only official language by
legislation, effectively making the educated Tamil people illiterate at
a stroke denying them equal access to education and employment
in the unified island. 1st Step of the Genocide – dehumanisation
started
The Sinhala-Colonial Era
1957 to 1958
 1957 B - C Pact between the Sinhalese Prime Minister
SWRD Bandaranaike and Tamil leader SJV
Chelvanayakam QC to meet some of the demands of
the Tamil people.
 1958 – The Tamils living in the South are murdered and
their property destroyed by Sinhala mob as the police
and armed forces stand by – The Next step in Tamil
Genocide is taken.
The B-C Pact unilaterally abrogated by Mr Bandaranaike
to pacify the extreme elements among the Sinhalese
Buddhists.
 1959 – Banadaraniake assassinated by Buddhist monk
for negotiating with the Tamils.
The Sinhala-Colonial Era
1965 to 1971
1965 D - C Pact - entered into, with another Sinhalese
Prime minister Dudley Senanayake and SJV
Chelvanayagam was never implemented by the
Sinhalese government.
1969 – Tamils seek redress through the judiciary and the
Privy Council in London directs the Supreme Court in Sri
Lanka to review the constitutionality of the Official
Language Act, since it violated s.29(2) the constitution.
1971 - The government responds by abolishing appeals to
Privy Council. Another non-violent path is closed by the
Sinhalese government.
1972 new Sinhala constitution
imposed on Tamils
 1972- The new Republican Constitution was adopted and
imposed on the Tamil people without their consent.
 The only legal safeguard provided by the entrenched section
29(2) of the Soulbury constitution, described by the Privy
Council in London that they "represent the solemn balance of
rights between the citizens of Ceylon, the fundamental
condition on which inter se they accepted the constitution;
and these are therefore unalterable under the constitution",
was scrapped.
 Tamil parties walked out of the constituent assembly. With
this, Tamil participation of the democratic process in Ceylon
(Sri Lanka) came to an end.
Marginalisation and oppression of
Tamils continue…….
1973 - Through a process of standardization the government restricts entry of
Tamil students to universities and institutions of higher education.
The Tamil Youth who had hitherto stayed away from politics enter the fray
The Thamil Maanavar Peravai (Tamil Students Form) is borne.
The members of this non violent Tamil Students Forum are arrested and
detained without trial by the Sinhala State. The 4th Floor of the Sri Lankan
CID becomes a chamber where the Tamil youth are kept incommunicado
and tortured.

1974 - The 4th International Tamil literary conference in Jaffna was violently
broken up by the police, where many died and several were injured.
Every year, the memorials for those died in this massacre are
desecrated and demolished methodically, by the Sinhalese Forces
stationed in Jaffna, following reconstruction at each anniversary.
Tamil youth are driven further and further away from the non violent
democratic path.
Birth of the Tamil armed resistance in
response to 25 years of State Terrorism
25 years denial of legitimate Tamil grievances
Discriminatory and oppressive policies of the Sinhala regime
Broken promises of successive governments
Recurrent and state sanctioned mob Violence
Use of state armed violence against non-violent protests.
The Tamil youth loose faith in passive means to win their rights.
1976 The Tamil Armed Resistance Movement started. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
is borne (originally named Tamil New Tigers)

'... whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have

recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression,
that human rights should be protected by the rule of law...'
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
1976 Turning Point
Vaddukkoddai Resolution
1976 - All the main Tamil political parties unite as Tamil United
Liberation Front (TULF) under the leadership of SJV
Chelvanayakam QC and at their First National Convention
declare:
"The Convention resolves that the restoration
and reconstitution of the Free, Sovereign,
Secular, Socialist state of Tamil Eelam based
on the right of self-determination inherent to
every nation has become inevitable in order to
safeguard the very existence of the Tamil
nation in this country."
1977 - Historical mandate of the
Tamil people
1977 - The TULF used the Sri Lankan election as a referendum on the 1976
Vaddukkoddai Resolution. The Tamil people gave a clear mandate at the
general elections to establish their sovereignty. The manifesto called for:
"… in the general Election the mandate of the Tamil Nation to establish
an independent, sovereign, secular, socialist State of Tamil Eelam
that includes all the geographically contiguous areas that have been
the traditional homeland of the Tamil-speaking people in the country.
"The Tamil nation must take the decision to establish its sovereignty in
its homeland on the basis of its right to self-determination. The only
way to announce this decision to the Sinhalese Government and to
the world is to vote for TULF. The Tamil-speaking representatives
who get elected through these votes while being members of the
National State Assembly of Tamil Eelam which will draft a constitution
for the state of Tamil Eelam and establish the independence of Tamil
Eelam by bringing that constitution into operation either by peaceful
means or by direct action or struggle".
The Sinhala Response to Democratic
Mandate of Tamils in 1977
 Tamil People living outside Tamil Eelam were attacked
by organised Sinhala gangs armed with clubs and
machetes. Tamil businesses were set alight. The thugs
had the backing of the Sinhala state who provided them
with voters list to identify Tamils.
 Thousands of Tamils lost their lives and millions worth of
Tamil’s property were looted or destroyed. Yet again,
the lives of Tamils living outside Tamil Eelam could not
be guaranteed where neighbour turned against
neighbour.
 Tamils who escaped death fled to Tamil Eelam for
safety.
The Sinhala Response ctd.
 The Sri Lankan government uses its majority to
draw up a constitution (1978) to placate the
Sinhalese
 introduces the clause “ Republic of Sri Lanka is a
unitary state” in the constitution.
 Buddhism is made the state religion
 Tamil MPs refuse to accept the new constitution
which violate the Tamil mandate boycott Sri
Lankan parliament.
 The Sinhala Democracy used to suppress the
Democratic will of the Tamils.
 Sinhala Armed forces THE EVIDENCE
Terrorise the Tamils
 'The murders (of Tamils) are said to have
been committed by police either acting
without orders or with the connivance of the
police'
- Sir John Foster Q.C., David Astor, Robert Birley, Louis Blom-
Cooper, James Fawcett, Dingle Foot & Michael Scott; The London
Times 20 September 1977.

 Civilians injured in an attack by policemen I heard

the A.S.P. (Asst. Superintendent of Police)
shouting 'shoot them like dogs. It is either they or
we'...
- M.R. Joseph, witness at the Sansoni Commission
(Sessional Paper No. VII-1980; p 97)

There is considerable body of evidence that

the army kills innocent (Tamil) civilians.'
- Robert Kilroy-Silk M.P. & Roger Sims J.P., M.P; Report of Visit to
Sri Lanka on Behalf of the (UK) Parliamentary Human Rights Group; STUDENTS KILLED IN JAFFNA 1980
February 1985
1979 - Emergency Regulations & Prevention of
Terrorism Act
to give draconian powers to brutalise Tamils
to give impunity to the armed forces.
"The South African Terrorism Act has been called 'A
piece of legislation which must shock the conscience
of a lawyer.'
Many of the provisions of the Sri Lankan Prevention
of Terrorism Act are equally contrary to accepted
principles of the Rule of Law."
- Virginia Leary; Ethnic Conflict and Violence in Sri Lanka: Report of a Mission to Sri
Lanka on behalf of the International Commission of Jurists, July/August 1981

This Prevention of Terrorism Act is still in force and so far an estimated

70,000 Tamil civilians have been killed by the Sri Lankan armed forces.
SINHALESE ACT TO DESTROY
TAMIL HISTORY – Genocidal Intent
 1981 JAFFNA PUBLIC LIBRARY which
housed irreplaceable ancient Tamil Palm
leaf (Olai) manuscripts and 90,000
Volumes of books, was set ablaze by the
Sinhala Armed forces, personally directed
by two cabinet ministers – A wanton act of
genocidal intent to destroy the history of an
ancient people.

st
1 June declare war against a
1981 section of its own people,
Jaffna public library burnt out
Prof. Virginia A Leary; Ethnic
Conflict and Violence in Sri
Lanka; Report of a Mission to
Sri Lanka on behalf of the
International Commission of
Jurists (July-August 1981)
'If any state could virtually
and do it unashamedly, it
happened in Sri Lanka this
year. Imagine a rowdy band
of reserve policemen being
brought all the way from
the south to the Tamil
capital city of Jaffna, and in
the unusual presence in the
city of two Cabinet
Ministers, setting fire to the
biggest cultural possession
of the Tamils - the Public
Library housing 95,000
volumes, some of them rare
manuscripts...'
 KILLING OF TAMILS LIGITIMISED
'At present the armed services are under restraint because in
any incident that may result there can be inquiries by
coroners which may even lead later to trials before law
courts. This puts the services at a great disadvantage... In
order to free the (armed) services of these disabilities,
security regulations will be published. They will remove the
obligations to have coroners inquests following any
shooting incidents by Armed Services'
- Bulletin of the Sri Lanka Department of Information
4 June 1983
Source Amnesty International Report June 1984)
BLACK JULY 1983
 The TV cameras of the world press, for the
first time, record one chapter of the ongoing
genocidal programme against Tamils. The
advent of satellite TV makes it possible to
show the international community the
nature of the Sinhala psyche.
 Part of a large scheme of ridding the island
of Tamils, is recorded by the world press.
 1983
anti Tamil
pogrom
"Motorists were dragged from their cars to be stoned and beaten
with sticks... Others were cut down with knives and axes."
-London Daily Telegraph 26 July 1983

"The impact of the communal violence on the Tamils was

shattering... The evidence points clearly to the conclusion that
the violence of the Sinhala rioters on the Tamils amounted to
Acts of Genocide."
- The Review, International Commission of Jurists, December 1983
 1983 –
THE EXODUS
The government of India provided
ships to repatriate the Tamils to
Tamil Eelam and safety.
'Awareness of their insecurity
drove many Tamils, especially
in the Colombo area, to
abandon their homes and
shops, and seek refuge in
temples, airport hangers and
improvised camps. Estimates
of the numbers made
homeless range upto 100,000,
many in poorly provisioned
'refugee camps.'
Tamils of Sri Lanka
Minority Rights Group Report;
September 1983
Aug1983 Mass evacuation away from
Sinhala mob rule and carnage

Tamil Refugees being taken in an Indian ship

disembarking in Jaffna (August 1983).
The Truth: Tamils can only be safe in an independent Tamil Eelam.
The Myth: Tamils live peacefully in the South amongst Sinhalese
 Sinhala colonists and a
Buddhist priest with guns

This Buddhist Priest, who calls

Sri Lanka 'The Sinhala Dheepa'
(The Sinhala Island), has
publicly exhorted Sinhala
people to terrorize Tamil
people into fleeing the island.

"Witnesses also confirmed allegations made to us that whole (Tamil)

villages have been emptied and neighbourhoods have been driven by
the army from their homes and occupations... We can say, without
doubt, that the Government is driving Tamils from their homes and
does intend to settle Sinhalese people in these areas..."
Robert Kilroy-Silk MP and Roger Sims MP
UK Parliamentary Human Rights Group Report (1985)
India role in the Tamil liberation
movement
 India became involved in the Civil War during the early 1980s when
the Indian government supplied arms and funding to both the LTTE
and its rival terrorist organisation, the Tamil Eelam Liberation
Organisation, or TELO. It is thought that through arming both
independence parties the Rajiv Ghandi's government sought to
follow a 'divide and rule' strategy. Exerting control over the
independence movement India stood to gain influence in Sri Lanka
while quelling the calls of Tamils in India for a similar independent
state.
 Read more: "India in Sri Lankan War: History of India's Involvement
with Tamil Tigers" -
http://indian-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/india_in_sri_lankan_civil_wa
Indo-Sri Lankan Negotiations were soon held between Indian
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan
Peace Accord President Junius Richard Jayewardene,
which lead to the signing of the Indo-Sri
Lankan Peace Accord on July 29, 1987. The
July 29 1987 Sri Lankan government made a number of
concessions to Tamil demands, including a
devolution of power to the provinces, a
merger of the North and East into one state,
(invalidated in 2006) and the institution of
Tamil as a national language. India, in return,
was to cease aiding Tamil militants, and
establish a peacekeeping force in the Tamil-
majority area of Sri Lanka.

Read more: "India in Sri Lankan War: History

of India's Involvement with Tamil Tigers" -
http://indian-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/india_i
 12 October 1988 Indian forces
Jaffna University Helidrop
Sri Lankan Civil WarPoomalai – Pawan (Jaffna University Helidrop) – Trishul –
Viraat – Checkmate – KokavilThe Jaffna University Helidrop was the first of
the operations launched by the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF) aimed at
disarming the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) by force and securing the town of Jaffna, Sri
Lanka, in the opening stages of Operation Pawan during the active Indian
mediation in the Sri Lankan Civil War.
Mounted on the midnight of 12 October 1988, the operation was planned as a fast
heliborne assault involving Mi-8's of the No.109 HU,
the 10th Para Commandos and a contingent of the 13th Sikh LI. The aim of the
operation was to capture the LTTE leadership at Jaffna University building which
served as the Tactical Headquarters of the LTTE, which was expected to
shorten Operation Pawan, the battle for Jaffna. However, the operation ended
disastrously, failing to capture its objectives -owing to intelligence and planning
failures.
The helidropped force suffered significant casualties, with nearly the entire Sikh LI
detachment of twenty nine troops falling to a man, along with six
Paracommandos falling in battle. It has since come to be known infamously as
the Jaffna Football Ground Massacre].
 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Indian forces at War with
Tamil Tigers – October 87 to march90
The newly created Indian Peace Keeping Force demanded that the Tamil
insurgent groups agreed to lay down their arms. The LTTE, who had grown in
power initially through Indian funding, now refused to disarm its forces,
drawing India into a three-year full-scale conflict. During the conflict India was
accused of human rights abuses on various accounts, both from Western and
Indian media sources.
The Peacekeeping Force were asked to leave by the Sri Lankan government,
and after opposition from Gandhi, his successor V.P.Singh ended the conflict,
with the last IPK ship leaving Sri Lanka on the 24th March 1990.
Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated subsequently by an allegedly LTTE woman
suicide bomber, losing the movement significant support from inside India.

Read more: "India in Sri Lankan War: History of India's Involvement with
Tamil Tigers" - http://indian
- history.suite101.com/article.cfm/india_in_sri_lankan_civil_war#ixzz097Z2lNJ3
10thnovember/1990
Air Force
bombs Jaffna hospital
In a statement issued here, the ICRC charged that a single air force aircraft
dropped two bombs around 7.45 a.m. within 'the clearly defined security
area'.
One person was wounded inside the ICRC protected hospital compound,
and four within the security area. According to the ICRC, the roofs of four
of the hospital buildings were blown off by the explosion
and the windows shattered... the hospital was clearly marked with red
crosses for easy identification from the ground and air, officials said.
The rules proscribe any military action from or against the safety area
which was devoid of any military or political installation, the ICRC said...
- AFP News Service 10 November 1990
 Migration after 1983pogrom
After the start of the conflict between the Sri Lankan
government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam,
there was a mass migration of Tamils trying to escape
the hardships and perils of war.
Initially, it was middle class professionals, such as doctors
and engineers, who emigrated; they were followed by
the poorer segments of the community.
The fighting has driven more than 800,000 Tamils from
their homes to other places within Sri Lanka as internally
displaced persons and also overseas,
prompting the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) to identify them in 2004 as the
largest asylum-seeking group
Refugees outside srilanka
 Neighbouring India has provided refuge to
over 100,000 in special camps and another
50,000 outside of the camps
 History of the Tamil nation in
the island of Srilanka
continues in the second set of slides

AFTER
YEAR
2000