The Origins of Sri Lanka's Ethnic Conflict

Comments · 478

• DO

  @DonKatuwawala · 3 years ago

  I am a Sri Lankan and watching this video made me realize more about the connections in history compared to the mainstream education provided in Sri Lanka. Like many other places, it seems history has been twisted to accommodate the social structures prevailing today. Thank you for this insightful video

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• MO

  @morwickchesterham3875 · 2 years ago

  I was actually in Ceylon in the 1950s... Before the British Colonial Administration left, the hierarchy in Sri Lanka was:- <br>English people &gt; Irish, Scottish, Welsh &gt; Burghers &gt; Malays &gt; Tamil Anglican Christians &gt; Sinhalese Anglican Christians &gt; Tamil Hindus &gt; Muslims &gt; Sinhalese Buddhists &gt; Indian Tamils. Tamils in general were favoured. It was classic divide and rule. This meant &apos;uplifting&apos; the Ceylonese Tamils over the majority Sinhalese. <br> <br>The main reason for the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka can be traced to 1944, when the Unified Tamil Political Party asked the British Governor to set the Constitution up so that the Sinhalese would only be allowed 50% of the seats in Parliament, even though they were around 75% of the population. The Governor had rejected this. But obviously this pissed off the Sinhalese.

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• AM

  @amilad8951 · 3 years ago (edited)

  I found this channel randomly; it is really a channel that produces quality content.Keep up the good work.

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• HA

  @har2252 · 3 years ago

  I am absolutely hooked on these. I cannot wait for the rest!

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• AL

  @alanhooper5101 · 3 years ago

  Btw, this is by far the most in depth and informative channel on not just Sri Lanka but Tajikistan. I only just found this channel within the last week and it’s my “go to”. Makes me want to visit these places. Thanks so much! Keep up the AMAZING work mate! I’ll be watching the rest of your vids 👍🤙

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• EA

  @easy_fish88 · 3 years ago

  Your videos are different from other geopolitical channels that I watch on YouTube. Yours bear a sense of closeness while presenting the ground reality without being biased.

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• RH

  @rh70hgjfddh · 1 year ago

  The quality of the videos are amazing. Came across the channel randomly. I&apos;m surprised you dont have more followers. Keep going and I&apos;m sure the followers will grow.

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• MY

  @mythilimusic · 3 years ago

  Alex, this is a really impressive series (which I stumbled upon completely randomly!). As someone whose roots are forged from this ethnic fault line, I have learnt so much from your videos and have enjoyed your unpacking of the history. Not sure if you have a way of receiving DMs/emails, but I’d love to share some more thoughts and ask some questions. You have a new subscriber :) KM x

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• ME

  @meis · 1 year ago (edited)

  Sri Lanka has few options: <br>A) Ethnic cleansing of Tamil (not recommended). Bhutan and Myanmar did that already, btw. Just saying. <br>B) Sri Lanka had choosen this. Traumatized the shet out of the Tamils. Reduced the Tamils&apos; power. Softly tell them to move out.<br>C) Learn from Chechen Republic (Russia) and XUAR (PRC). Not perfect but whole lot better.<br>D) Learn from Singapore. Its working language is English, so that Chinese, Malays, Indians can be chill (aka stability), without favouring any race. You can learn whatever languages you want after school. Encourage to intermingling thru &quot;housing system&quot;.<br><br>Bhutan was allowed to do it bcoz Bhutan is a &quot;friend&quot; to India and The Five Eyes. Yup, they supported it, indirectly.<br><br>Tamil Sri Lankans simply have no leverage. It was a lost cause from the start.<br><br>I&apos;m Chinese Malaysian. In high school, we and Indians had an unofficial pact to defence ourselves against Malay (school bullying stuff). Some Chinese Malaysian gangs (like real gangster, underground stuff) worked with Indian Malaysian gangs. And that was 20 years ago. Things could be different now. <br> <br>Tamils are the majority of Indian Malaysians. One of my Indian friends has an English name and probably Christian. And when they speak to each other, they speak in English due to language barrier. One of the few things that I noticed back then, as my English named Indian Malaysian friend explained to me.

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• TH

  @thats_whatshesaid · 3 years ago (edited)

  I haven&apos;t seen any &apos;Sri Lankan&apos; explain the fundamental issue in this country so well. I need to emphasize that the racial division has lead to the civil war and thousands of casualties along with economic damages. But it has done more damage to the country by keeping the corrupted politicians in the power. Until all sinhales, tamils and muslims comes to a true reconciliation I don&apos;t think Sri Lanka will ever be the country that it really capable of.

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• KA

  @kandasamywickramabaskaran5647 · 1 year ago (edited)

  You will really make this story as good as &nbsp;Doctor Zhivago. You have a really good talent of story telling. You are amazing.

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• UD

  @UdiDol · 1 year ago

  What a smooth flow , you have maintained throughout. You have done your homework before coming to Sri Lanka. On history, Geography, ethnicity, religion and global political scenario and a lot you have covered with brilliance. A true journalism and unbiased viewpoint of a foreigner (foreigners normally tend to be biased due to the associates and story tellers in English and therefore the picture presented becomes corrupted). Admire your effort. This episode is worthwhile watching a few more times as it gives a perspective of an objective analyzer and has gone deep in to the facts with our waging an emotional war within. Thanks!

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