April 28, 2001

11:29 PM

While the latest chapter dates back to 1975 (ignited in 1948-49), the Sri Lankan conflict essentially stems from the answer to which of the two major ethnic groups landed first in the island some 2,500 years ago. Both sides now have websites which routinely boasts of the death tolls of the opposing group.
posted by tamim (3 comments total)

The proto history of Ceylon could be traced back to atleast 5000 years to the period of Raman of the epic Ramayanam...

i.e. the proto-history can be traced back to the time of myth and legend.
posted by lagado at 5:19 AM on April 29, 2001

Seems much of the struggle between two ethnic groups in our century stems from British pulling back from countries they ruled and then having various conflicting groups make both claims and war, ie, Ireland, India, Palestine. Where before this pull back the sun never set on the Empire, now peace never settles on warring groups.
posted by Postroad at 5:40 AM on April 29, 2001

Not just the Brits (see Angola, Mozambique, Congo/Zaire, Indonesia, Yugoslavia, Rwanda/Burundi, Vietnam, Cambodia, Fiji…), but yeah. Colonalism tended to create artificial entities with multiple societies, often traditional enemies caged together in them. Often one group in particular was raised above the others by the colonizing power (Javanese, Kikuyu, Burmans, Indians), which led to all kinds of abuse and ill will.
posted by rodii at 7:33 AM on April 29, 2001