For over two millennia; the Buddhists and Hindus of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) lived together in relative peace. But in the twentieth century; this small island republic off the coast of India has been wracked by recurrent violence and ethnic tension.Especially since independence in 1948; the majority Sinhalese population; predominantly Buddhist; and the Tamil minority; mainly Hindu and some Muslims; have competed fiercely over questions of rate; language; religion; and political control. Several revisions of the constitution have failed to resolve these issues; and the post-independence period has witnessed horrific riots; guerrilla movements on both sides; and pro-government death squads; as well as a peace-keeping effort by Indian forces to try to protect the Tamil minority and to resolve the dispute.What role does religion in fact play in the conflict; and what can be done to reduce the level of tension and violence in Sri Lanka? This volume addresses those questions by examining the sources of this intense conflict; the political; legal; and nongovernmental efforts at reconciliation; and the prospects for a settlement.
#9231868 in Books Chatham Publishing 2006-02-20Original language:English 8.50 x 1.25 x 5.50l; 1.58 #File Name: 1861760515500 pages
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