Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups

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Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups rose to prominence in the 1970s to fight the state of

inter-generational tensions, as well as the caste and ideological differences. Except for the LTTE, many of the remaining organizations have morphed into minor political parties within the Tamil National Alliance
, or as standalone political parties. Some Tamil militant groups also functioned as paramilitaries within the Sri Lankan military against separatist militants .

Origins

Main article: Origins of the Sri Lankan civil war

The relationship between the

Sri Lankan Tamils such as the Sinhala Only Act. The governments adopted these policies in order to assist the Sinhalese community in such areas as education and public employment . But these policies severely curtailed the middle class Tamil youth, who found it more difficult during the 1970s and 1980s to enter a university or secure employment. These individuals belonging to this younger generation, often referred to by other Tamils as "the boys" (Podiyal in Tamil language) formed many militant organizations.[1] And when the government launched plans to settle poor farmers in the sparsely populated areas of the dry zone in the North Central Province and the Eastern Provinces alongside irrigation projects the Sinhalese nationalist groups viewed it as a "reclamation and recreation in the present of the glorious Sinhalese Buddhist past" resulting in many Tamils viewing it as a deliberate attempt of the Sinhalese-dominated state to marginalize them further by decreasing their numbers in the area.[2]

Social conditions

See also:
1971 JVP Insurrection (Sri Lanka)

The militant groups also represented not only a revolt against the Sinhalese-dominated status quo but also an expression of inter-generational tensions in a highly traditional society where obedience to parental authority was expected. Militant youth criticized their elders for indecisiveness at a time when they felt the existence of their ethnic community clearly was in danger.[1]

The most important contributor to the strength of the militant groups was the Black July pogrom which was perceived as an organized event in which over 3000 Sri Lankan Tamil civilians were slaughtered by Sinhalese mobs, prompting many youth to prefer the armed path of resistance.[1]

The movement also reflected caste differences and rivalries. The membership of the largest and most important rebel group, for example, the

People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE).[1][3]

Role in the conflict

Main article:
Sri Lankan civil war

By the end of 1987, they had fought not only the Sri Lankan security forces but also the Indian Peace Keeping Force and were allegedly involved in acts that were characterized as terrorism against civilians. They also fought among each other briefly, with main Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebel group dominating the others.[1] Most of the Tamil militant groups were eliminated by the LTTE.[4]

Groups

Main article: List of Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups
Student organizations

Most started as student organizations. The notable one were Tamil Students League (TSL) or Tamil Manavar Peravai founded in 1970 by Ponnuthurai Satyaseelan. Another one was Tamil Youth League or Tamil Ilaignar Peravai founded in 1973 that was progenitor of many militant groups. Finally General Union of Eelam Students (GUES) founded in London, UK whose members founded Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students which in turn split into Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front that gave birth to current political party and sometime paramilitary organization Eelam People's Democratic Party.[citation needed]

Major groups

Prior to 1987 the major groups included the Indian trained and equipped

Eelam People's Democratic Party is a pro-government group and a political party accused of being a paramilitary.[10] A faction of the Eelam Revolutionary Organisers (EROS) is part of LTTE. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTe) is the only remaining armed Tamil nationalist group.[citation needed
]

Other groups

There were over 30 other minor groups of which some are notable such as National Liberation Front of Tamil Eelam (NLFTE), which according to

Madras, India. Tamil Eelam Liberation Army (TELA) founded in 1982 by Oberoi Thevan; a splinter group of TELO. After the assassination of Thevan in 1983 by the LTTE, TELA was absorbed by PLOTE.[citation needed
]

Militant fronts

There are also number of militia groups such as Upsurging People's Force, Ellalan Padai, and Ravanan Padai considered by some to be groups allied to the LTTE.[11]

Tamil paramilitary groups

Due to the internecine conflicts as well as due to internal conflicts within militant organizations many members of Tamil militant groups cooperated with the Sri Lankan government and have worked as paramilitary groups. They played an important role in military operations against the LTTE as well as in counter insurgency operations.

LTTE.[14][15]

In 1990 the Eelam People's Democratic Party another major Tamil group joined as a paramilitary group and the Sri Lankan government agreed to fund the group.[16]

According to the Sri Lankan nationalist Asian Tribune website, by 2009 end of the war the Paramilitaries were disarmed and most of them entered politics.[17] However, civilians giving evidence to the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) claimed that the paramilitary groups were still engaged in violence, including abductions and murder.[18] The LLRC found that the government had failed to disarm the paramilitary groups which were still recruiting children.[19] One of the main recommendations of the LLRC was that the government disarm the paramilitary groups.[20][21] In 2011 the US government has also called on the government to stop paramilitary activity in the north of the country.[22]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Ross, Sri Lanka: A Country Study, p.#
  2. ^ "Root causes of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka -worldbank" (PDF).
  3. ^ Marschall, Wolfgang (2003). "Social Change Among Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees in Switzerland". Archived from the original on 5 December 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  4. ^ "Tamil Tigers | Definition, History, Location, Goals, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com.
  5. ^ "PLOTE responsible for disappearances". Sri Lanka Monitor. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  6. ^ "Tamil leader killed in Lanka explosion". Nirupama Subramanian. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  7. ^ "Sri Lanka: Government must investigate paramilitary group violations". Amnesty International. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  8. ^ a b Rotberg, Creating Peace in Sri Lanka, p.61
  9. ^ a b "Security and Human Rights Situation, Entry and Exit Procedures and Personal Documentation - Report on joint fact-finding mission to Sri Lanka - DANISH IMMIGRATION SERVICE COPENHAGEN, DENMARK". Danish Immigration Service. Archived from the original on 25 November 2005. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  10. ^ "Sri Lanka: Amnesty International condemns killings of civilians". Amnesty International. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  11. ^ "Background Information on Terrorist Groups". US State Government. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  12. ^ "Parties stick to their guns". BBC. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  13. ^ "Kotakadeniya against disarming paramilitaries". Chinthaka Fernando. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  14. ^ "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005 (Sri Lanka)". US State Government. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  15. ^ "The Eastern Factor in the Sri Lankan Ethnic Conflict". M. Mayilvaganan. Archived from the original on 12 July 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  16. ^ "The Dougles Devananda phenomenon -thesundayleader.lk".
  17. ^ "TMVP surrenders weapons -asiantribune".
  18. ^ "ASA 37/011/2014 Sri Lanka: Ensuring justice: Protecting human rights for Sri Lanka's future". Amnesty International. 7 October 2014. p. 15.
  19. ^ "Sri Lanka MPs receive controversial civil war report". BBC News. 16 December 2011.
  20. ^ "Tamils in Sri Lanka doubtful about latest LLRC report". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. 5 January 2012.
  21. ^ "LLRC calls for Rule of Law, not rule of men". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 18 December 2011.
  22. The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)
    .

References

  • Ross, Russell (1988). Sri Lanka: A Country Study. USA: U.S. Library of Congress.[1]
  • Rotberg, Robert (1999). Creating Peace In Sri Lanka. USA: Brookings Institution Press. p. 218.
    ISBN 0-8157-7578-4
    .

External links
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