Author: Hanin Makarem

Editor: Elisah Sauerbier, Anastasia Pinkse, Kintan van Leeuwen

Imagine going through life having to hide your true identity, abandoning your heritage, and pretending to be someone else. This is the heart-rending story of Thanuja, a Sri Lankan woman who was born to a Tamil father and a Sinhalese mother. In Sri Lanka, the Tamil and Sinhala ethnic groups have had a constant presence of conflict since the arrival of the Tamils. Tamils originated from Tamil Nadu in India and their arrival in Sri Lanka had led to increased tension and violence between the two ethnic groups. Being born to a Tamil father in a predominantly Sinhalese community can put your life at risk. Thanuja had to hide the fact that she is half Tamil and even changed her last name for her protection. Ethnic conflict is one of the most serious threats to national and international peace. It is defined as; a form of political or social conflict where ethnic terms are the objectives of at least one of the involved parties.

The term ethnic originates from the Greek word ethnos, which refers to a group of people who share common descent. Furthermore, an ethnic group also shares the same traditions and culture that distinguish it from other groups. Ethnic conflicts have divided people and communities and resulted in tragic losses and dreadful damages to all involved parties. Thanuja's story is just one teardrop out of a much bigger ocean.

What are the different types of ethnic groups?

We cannot fully understand the causes of ethnic conflict without looking into the different types of ethnic groups and on what foundation they are formed. Each ethnic group has their own unique set of ambitions, objectives, norms and values; some groups aim for more equal treatment and representation between each gender. Others desire a role in the decision-making bodies and want to maintain the hierarchy. Therefore, we should consider the different objectives and foundations when we are looking for the cause of ethnic conflict.

According to Britannica (2021), there are six types of ethnic groups:

Ethnonationalists are a large group of people who regard their nationality to their ethnicity. Therefore, it is a type of nationalism among people who consider their ethnicity as a core value instead of the country/nation itself. For example, the differentiation between the Gujarat and Punjab tribes of India. 

• Indigenous people are known as the original inhabitant of a colonized region. They share common unique traditions, customs and visible physical appearance. Indigenous people are one of the most marginalized ethnic groups due to colonial oppression and constant decline in resources such as land. An example of Indigenous people are the Mayas in Guatemala. 

• Ethnoclasses, typically descend from slaves or immigrants and share a specific economic activity. Ethnoclasses groups go mostly unrecognized. Therefore, they strive for more equality and political representation. For example African-Americans and Mexican-Americans 

• Communal Contenders are a well-defined group that is focused on obtaining a role in state power. Some of them seek independence from the state, for instance, the Kurdish people.

• Religious sects are religion-based groups, they are usually well-organized because they already have an organizational structure. They also aim for equal opportunities and political representation. An example of a religious sect is the Muslims in the Netherlands.

• National Minorities are groups of people who share a different nationality from where they reside. Most of these groups have a history of political autonomy, which they strive to reinstate such as the Syrians in Lebanon.

Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka: the Tamil and Sinhalese

The civil war in Sri Lanka started around 1983 between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) also known as the Tamil Tigers. This civil war resulted in 80,000-100,000 casualties (Wikipedia contributors, 2022) and unmeasurable emotional as well as physical damage to the Sri Lankan society including women, children and innocent citizens who were not involved in the conflict. The LTTE is a Tamil minority, however, it does not represent all the Tamil society, and some Tamil people did not agree with their actions. While the Sri Lankan government was dominated by the Sinhalese majority. The Tamils in Sri Lanka wanted to form an independent state because they were suffering from discrimination and unequal treatment. Discrimination has caused a spark of war between LTTE and the Sri Lankan government.

The Sinhalese are the largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka forming about 73% of the population. It is believed that their ancestors came from Northern India around the 5th century BCE. They speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language. Most Sinhalese follow Buddhism as their religion. In comparison, the Sri Lankan Tamil or Ceylon Tamil are considered a minority accounting for 11.2% of the population. 

The Sri Lankan Tamils are distinguished into two groups:

1. The Sri Lankan Tamils, who have settled in Sri Lanka since around the 2nd century BCE from south-eastern India. 

2. The Indian Tamils, who have recently settled in Sri Lanka. Most of them were brought to Sri Lanka from south-eastern India under British rule between the 19th and 20th century. They speak the Tamil language, and they are predominantly Hindus, but also include Roman Catholics and Protestants.

The two groups display a significant difference in the sense of language, religion, and culture. Some scholars report that the tension dates to the 5th century. However, the dispute between the two groups took a worsened turn during British imperial rule. According to Harvard International Review, The CIA suggested in 1985 that the Sinhalese community felt threatened by the Tamil group’s prosperity partly due to the British favouritism of Tamils during the British occupation of Sri Lanka. The British favouritism stems from the fact that the Tamil people have existed in other British colonies like India and Singapore, therefore the British were already familiar with their culture. Moreover, the British colonial authorities often placed English schools in Tamil predominant areas, providing them with more civil services and opportunities. Despite offering civil services, the crimes committed by the British were beyond catastrophic. Entire villages and farms were torched, cattle slaughtered, vegetation burnt to the ground and people were killed remorselessly. Lands were taken by force to start cash crops resulting in a diverse effect on the environment and natural surroundings.

After Sri Lanka became independent from British rule, the Sinhalese wanted to reclaim the rights that were taken from them during British rule. The Sinhalese-dominated government issued several discriminatory policies such as setting the Sinhala language as the official language of Sri Lanka. Students were also affected by these policies, for example, discriminatory policies became the standardization which aimed for more opportunities for the Sinhalese disadvantageous students. One of these discriminatory policies required Tamil students to score higher grades than their Sinhalese peers to be allowed to study at Sri Lankan universities. 

Although the Sri Lankan civil war ended in 2009, a large portion of the Tamil people remained displaced and the ethnic conflict continued to co-exist as people were still divided because of their differences. As of 2022, Tamil culture is slowly declining because of the efforts of the Sinhalese government. The process of “Sinhalization” aims to actively replace Tamil culture and overshadow it. 

The consequences of ethnic conflict on children

Armed ethnic conflict has had devastating consequences on children worldwide. According to the European Union Guidelines on children and armed conflict (2003), over the last decade, armed conflicts are estimated to have claimed the lives of over 2 million children, maiming 6 million, orphaning 1 million, and creating up to 20 million child refugees worldwide (Lucy Wangechi et al., n.d). Armed conflicts and civil wars drastically alter children’s lives as they get abducted, abused, and recruited. Additionally, we can’t forget the psychological trauma and emotional damage they suffer from due to the direct exposure to violence and experiencing the loss of their family or community members. One of the many other consequences of armed conflict is depriving children of their right to education.

In Sri Lanka, there are great concerns regarding the state of education after the three-decades-long civil war between Tamil and Sinhalese. The conflict has led to poor access to education and schooling as was previously seen in the example about discriminatory policies. Furthermore, the population of Tamil had achieved a higher level of education, as a result of favouritism by the British, compared to the Sinhalese which led to even more tension and government-imposed quota systems for tertiary institutions. The main cause of non-enrollment in schools in Sri Lanka is the limited number of faculties and the shortage of educational institutions.

Even though primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of education are free in Sri Lanka, many families cannot afford to educate their children, education is compulsory for children between 5 and 16. Parents still need to pay for transportation, school materials, and uniforms. Another concern is safety, in many distracts parents are afraid of sending their children to school. In some areas, students must pass several military checkpoints before arriving at their schools. Furthermore, schools have been closed temporarily due to conflicts (Easter bombings), but also covid-19 and the current crisis. This causes instability in the children's school life and their academic progress.

Education as a double-edged sword 

Many international conventions have articulated the right to education, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Education is crucial for children because it contributes to their development and prospects, but can also be a powerful tool to prevent ethnic conflict. It can promote peace and teach children how to accept others. 

Smith & Vaux (2003) stated that children who endure armed conflict have special needs since they are emotionally and psychologically damaged. Therefore, they may have a short attention span or be overanxious, irritable, and fearful. Smith & Vaux also discussed the remarkable role of schools in improving children’s lives. Since the environment of schools has a stable structured routine, it provides the children with stability and continuity. Teachers can contribute to psychosocial interventions; they are the first to recognize symptoms of severe distress in children. Many know the children well and are in a good position to notice personality changes. The World Bank argued that teachers can be trained to identify children with emotional problems and even without specialist care, teachers can be great resources when using learning techniques and improving the school environment. 

As reported by UNICEF, a study suggested that children form an ethnic attitude at an early age and once a negative or positive prejudice is formed it is more likely that it will increase over time. Additionally, parents are a crucial factor when it comes to forming ethnic attitudes. Children are highly influenced by the values, traditions, and ideologies of their society. At the same time, education and schooling can teach the child acceptance, tolerance, and other essentials to encourage mutual respectful interactions among different ethnic groups. Parents should also be willing to apply these concepts at home and supplement what their children learn at school, by setting a good example.

The power of education can be used to prevent ethnic conflict and racial disputes. However, the same power can also be misused as a dangerous weapon. For example, a first-grade math textbook in Bulgaria mentions: Count how many words there are in this sentence: “I am grateful to the party for it leads my country to beautiful radiant life and vigilantly protects us from war.” (Library of Congress, Country Studies - Bulgaria, June 1992) In this example, it is clear how education is misused as propaganda to promote a certain political or ethnic orientation. 

A document published by the Attorney General's Office State of California discussed the effectiveness of employing education in fighting ethnic conflict. The study stated that schools shouldn’t be the only party involved in fighting ethnic conflict. Instead, other bodies such as families, public and private agencies, and law enforcement should all be involved. Furthermore, the paper mentioned an example from a high school in California where the majority of students changed from Anglo to Mexican-American. Even though the school was well aware of the upcoming change, they did not prepare or train the teachers and administrators. Instead of experiencing understanding, they experienced frustration and a sense of not knowing how to teach their new students, which quickly expressed itself in anger, resentment, and criticism of both students and their families. "If parents did their job at home," the teachers often said, "our job in the school would be easier." All of this was perceived by the students and their families as prejudice. This shows how schools can also, consciously or unconsciously, contribute to ethnic conflicts and division.

How can we prevent ethnic conflict? 

Ethnic and racial conflicts are complex issues that have many different roots; each conflict is unique and requires a tailor-made solution. The nature of conflicts that have ethnic objectives makes it harder for NGOs and IGOS to tackle the issue. The hatred, prejudice, and racism are passed down from generation to generation. The aftermath and the horrendous consequences that ethnic conflict leaves behind are beyond tragic. Furthermore, innocent children who unwillingly experience armed disputes are left with lifetime scars and trauma, not to mention physical damage. As education is one of the effective tools to avert ethnic conflict and promote peace and forbearance, more efforts should be dedicated to training both teachers and caregivers, so they can pass this knowledge on to the next generation. Additionally, there is a crucial necessity to develop curriculums that call for logical alternatives to violence. The role of schooling is not enough on its own; caregivers should also be involved in the process. Governments and NGOs should unify their efforts to build a positive environment for children. 

Bridging Lanka, Hüsk and Little Leaders Foundation united their forces and are currently building a preschool in Mannar (Sri Lanka). The Little Trees Nurtury will provide holistic education and assist children in their early childhood development. In addition, the preschool will offer job opportunities, train teachers, provide pedagogic counselling for parents and bring the divided community together. 

If you want to read more about Little Trees Nurtury or why we are building the preschool in Mannar, Sri Lanka, visit our webpage for more information:  https://littleleadersfoundation.org/building-a-preschool