The influence of Tamil diaspora on stability in Sri Lanka

Although the Sinhalese and Tamil ethnic problem is deep-rooted and of long-standing origins, in the early 1980s, it turned into an armed conflict under the leadership of Velupillai Prabahakaran, who had formed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE). The military defeat of the LTTE in 2009 did not end the Sri Lankan ethnic problem. Pro-LTTE Tamils, who have migrated and settled in many parts of the world, have created many diasporic Tamil organizations to continue their fight for a separate state. The LTTE uses the actions of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam, the Global Tamil Forum, and the British Tamil Forum indirectly to achieve its political goal--a Tamil homeland. The Tamil Eelam People's Assembly as well as ex-combatant and intelligence groups continue to adhere to radical ideas of a re-emerging LTTE insurgency. Also, the Tamil diaspora is manipulating the Tamil National Alliance and Sri Lankan Tamils to achieve its goals. Presently, the UNHCR resolution on alleged war crimes by the Sri Lankan military is a major issue among the members of the diaspora, who wish to discredit Sri Lanka's government and military. Since Sri Lanka's independence in 1948, all successive governments have failed to find a solution for the demands of the Tamils. The government should encourage all ethnic groups to think of Sri Lanka as one nation for the promotion of peaceful coexistence.

Department dc:contributor.department

Defense Analysis (DA)

Grantor dc:publisher

Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School

Year dc:date.issued

2016

Author dc:creator

• Perera, U. L. J. Sylvester

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Borer, Douglas

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright is reserved by the copyright owner.

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10945/49365

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:calhoun.nps.edu:10945/49365