Why are the Tamils and Sinhalese fighting?
The war was mainly a clash between the Sinhalese-dominated Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) insurgent group, the latter of which had hoped to establish a separate state for the Tamil minority.
What happens to Tamils in Sri Lanka?
A United Nations panel found that as many as 40,000 Tamil civilians may have been killed in the final months of the civil war. In January 2020, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that the estimated 20,000+ disappeared Sri Lankan Tamils were dead. One-third of Sri Lankan Tamils now live outside Sri Lanka.
How are Tamils discriminated in Sri Lanka?
The Tamil population continues to suffer discrimination, including through lack of access to public services in their own language, and the fact that police agents in the north of the country did not speak Tamil, he noted. People continue to live in fear due to the big military presence.
How did Tamilians end up in Sri Lanka?
Like the Portuguese and Dutch, the British colonial period saw the transportation and migration of Tamils to Sri Lanka, but on a much larger scale. Indian Tamils were brought to Sri Lanka as indentured labourers during the 19th and 20th centuries to work on coffee, tea and rubber plantations owned by the British.
What is Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam?
The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) is formed by unification of the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora which aims to create Tamil Eelam, a state which TGTE aspire to create in the north and east provinces of Sri Lanka. The TGTE and Tamil Eelam have no official status or recognition by any state or authority.
What do Tamils in Sri Lanka call themselves?
Sri Lankan Tamils. Tamil Eelam (Tamil: தமிழீழம் tamiḻ īḻam, generally rendered outside Tamil-speaking areas as தமிழ் ஈழம்) is a proposed independent state that Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora aspire to create in the north and east of Sri Lanka.
Where does the name Tamil Eelam come from?
The name is derived from the ancient Tamil name for Sri Lanka, Eelam. Tamil Eelam, although encompassing the traditional homelands of Sri Lankan Tamils, does not have official status or recognition by world states.
Does Sri Lanka meet the minority aspirations of Tamils?
However, this did not transpire in a manner that met minority aspirations. The growth in Sinhala nationalism and the adoption of Sinhala as the official language of Sri Lanka contributed to the discord amongst the Tamils and resulted in further discrimination and isolation of minorities.