SRI LANKA

“Isle of Sorrow”
A. Geography
 Island in the Indian Ocean of the Southeast tip of India
 65, 610 sq km, 2/3 of it is Jungle
 Narrow Palk strait separates the Island from India (with whom it was
once geographically linked)
 The interior is mountainous, but the coastal plains are flat

 Adam’s peak (2 243 m.) in the South is the most sacred in the world.

Situated in the highlands of central southern Sri Lanka, Adams Peak is a place of pilgrimage for people
of many faiths and from many countries. Set in the oblong platform that tops the mountain's 2,243-
meter (7,360-foot) summit is a large hollow resembling a human footprint, venerated by Hindus,
Muslims, and Buddhists alike. Many pilgrims climb through the night to reach the summit by dawn, in
time for the spectacular sunrise that can be viewed from the peak.
  Colombo – capital city
 Top producer of graphite and limestone
 Also experts rubies, sapphires, tea rubber and coconut.
B. Flag

C. Economy
 Stagnated due to civil war and high defense spending
 Huge irrigation and energy projects stand to make the country self
sufficient in food and energy
 Used to be known as paradise and one of the world’s loveliest places
attracting tourists and foreign residents like a magnet
 Due to a bloody civil war between the Tamils and Sinhalese, Sri lanka
has been dubbed the Isle of Sorrow
D. People
 75% are Sinhalese descendants of the Indian Aryans
 22% are Tamil descendants from South India
 Official Language – Sinhala but Tamil and English are also spoken
 Religion -Majority are Buddhists, the rest are Hindu, Muslim or
Catholic
E. History
 the conflict between the Hindu Tamil minority and the majority
Buddhist Sinhalese in Sri Lanka started about 20 centuries
 2400 years ago – Sinhalese came from the Aryans who emigrated from
India
 543 B.C. – Indian Prince named Vijaya landed in the North Sri Lanka
- became the 1st Sinhalese King
- called his kingdom Singhala (lion race) in honor of his father,
Singha (lion)
- Buddhism was introduced in the 3rd century and temples
spread rapidly in the island
 500 years ago - Tamils came from Dravidian South India through
successive invasion
- Until today the Buddhist majority still have a 2000 year old
nightmare that the goal of the Tamil minority is to drive them
into the sea.
th
 12 century - United Kingdom under Parakrama the great (1153-1186)
disintegrated after a brief but glorious reign.
 1505 – Portuguese led by Lorenzode Almeida landed in Colombo
 - found 3 major political power centers (Kandy and lotte
dominated by Sinhalese and Jaffna up north dominated by
Tamils)
 1656 – Portuguese traders were expelled by the Dutch and Sinhalese
- Holland was the colonial power until 1796 when the last Dutch
government surrendered island to the British without a fight
 British rule (1796-1947) – British dominated the whole island and
united the different racial groups under 1 government
- uniform legal system was followed
- English became new common language
- Roads and railways were built
- Schools were trained in Western Ideas
- Out of these schools eventually came the Ceylonese Patriots
who agitated for freedom and led the new country
- Develop export oriented plantations for tea, coffee and rubber
- Import workers form Southern India who swelled the ranks of
Tamils minority
- As of today the island had 3 separate ethnic groups
(Sinhalese, Tamils from ancient Sri Lanka, and new Tamils
from British-India)
- 1915 Independence riots brutally crushed the British, the 3
groups put aside their differences and forged Ceylon National
Congress (1st Political party)
- 1931 - Tamils boycotted the election and formed their own
organization.
 Independence
- After World War II, Stephen Senanayake (Father of Sri
Lanka Independence) led the struggle against other countries
for their independence
- Feb. 8, 1948 proclaimed Sri Lankan Independence at
Colombo
- Senanayake became the 1st prime minister
- 1952 – after Senanayake’s death his son Dudley succeeded
him but lasted only until 1953 due to illness
- Succeeded by Sir John Kotewala, a relative by marriage
- Economy faltered as tea and rubber prices tumbled
- Discontent swept the United National Party (UNP) out of
office in 1956
- Voted into power was coalition led by Sri Lankan Freedom
Part of Solomon Bandaranaike
 Bandaranaike and Jayewardene
- Solomon Bandaranaike – became the prime minister
- Together with Sinhalese dominated parliament
restructed the government
- Sinhala – official language with other measures to
ensure the support of the Buddhist Sinhalese majority
- Tamil minority rose in violent riots
- Sept. 2, 1959 fanatical Buddhist priest assassinated
Bandaranaike
- Sirimavo (Bandaranaike’s wife) took over the government
 - For 4 years she continued to promote pro-Sinhalese
policies
- After 5 years out of office she returned to power and in
1972 pushed through a new government
- She declared a state of emergency and assumed
dictatorial powers due to economic and ethnic
problems.
- The 1972 constitution made Ceylon the Republic of Sri
Lanka
- She appointed her nephew and 2 daughters to high
government positions while her son controlled the
major papers

Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was the first woman prime minister of Ceylon (now Sri
Lanka).

-1977 Junius Jayewardene, leader of opposition and head of

UNP won the election
- Introduced presidential form of government
- Recognized Sinhala and Tamil as national language
- Promised to call a National Conference to resolve Tamil
problems
- But Tamil agitated for separate state through the Tamil
United Liberation Front, spawned a guerrilla movement
which caused terror in the country.
 Civil war
- Tamil guerrillas attacked banks and business in Northern
Jaffna
- 1975 they assassinated public officials including the mayor of
Jaffna
- 1979 Anti Terrorism act only Increase their numbers
- July 1983 – the ambush of an army patrol by Tamil Tigers
(largest Militant group) brought the civil war to its peak.
 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) seek to create a separate nation for the Tamil
minority of the island republic of Sri Lanka. The majority of the Sri Lankan population is
Buddhist Sinhalese; Hindu Tamils make up less than 20 percent. Since the separatist group
formed in the late 1970s, LTTE guerrillas have conducted a military campaign intended to
achieve Tamil self-rule.
-Sinhalese mobs in Colombo rioted after the news, smashed
and looted Tamil-owned shops (more than 6000 lives died by
1987)
- July 29, 1987 Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Pres.
Jayewardene reached a historic agreement to end the 5 year
civil war in Sri Lanka.
- Indo-Ceylonese agreement gave limited autonomy to the
Tamil areas
- Northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka were to be
united
- Referendum in the Eastern province in 1988 will determine
whether residents will join the northern unit or have their own
provincial council
- Aug 1, 1987 brought truce between Tamil militants and
government troops.
- Indian troops were airlifted to Sri Lanka to enforce ceasefire
and Tamil guerrillas were asked to surrender their arms
- Feb. 1988 Tamil guerrilla accepted ceasefire but Tamil Tigers
began to fight the Indian troops
- Aug 18, 1987 while Sri Lankan parliament was debating
assassins shot Pres. Jayewardene and threw 2 grenades into
the committee room (Assassins did not hurt the Pres, but
wounded 5 cabinet ministries and killed Junior minister)
- Nov 1987 passed the bill granting wider autonomy for
provincial councils an provincial elections in April 1988
 New government for Sri Lanka
- Dec 19, 1988 – Presidential elections were held
- Ranasinghe Premadasa – won the election over Mrs.
Sirimavo (She contested the results in petition to the supreme
court)
 End of political violence
- May 1, 1993 – young gunman shot and killed Pres Premadasa
- Brought to an end of political violence
 - During the violent era
• Tamil minority – north
• Sinhalese communist – south
• Involved India after Prime Minister Gandhi of India
Sent troops to help put down Tamil
• May 1991 Gandhi was assassinated by Tamil rebels
- Aug 1994 Chadrika Badaranaike Kumaratunga new president
- followed the Asian Family ties by appointing her mother as
the prime minister

Chandrika Kumaratunga
Chandrika Kumaratunga became the first female president of Sri Lanka in 1994. She
remained president until 2005. Both of her parents, Solomon and Sirimavo Bandaranaike, had
served as prime minister.

F. Present Facts
Official name Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Capital Sri Jayawardenepura (legislative capital) Colombo (administrative capital)
Area 65,610 sq km 25,332 sq mi
People Population 21,128,773 (2008 estimate)
Population growth rate 0.94 percent (2008 estimate)
Projected population in 2025 23,707,228 (2025 estimate) Projected population in
2050 24,920,558 (2050 estimate)
Population density 326 persons per sq km (2008 estimate)
Ethnic groups Sinhalese 74 percent Tamil 18 percent Moor (Arab) 7 percent Burgher
(Dutch), Malay, Vedda 1 percent
Languages Sinhala (official) 74 percent Tamil 18 percent Note: English is widely
used as a second language.
Religious affiliations Buddhist 69 percent Hindu 15 percent Christian 8 percent
Muslim 8 percent
Form of government Republic
Voting qualifications Universal at age 18