Continuity of Sinhala Majoritarianism and the Eelam Tamil Struggle for Self-Determination

Sinhala Majoritarianism and the Eelam Tamil Struggle for Self-Determination

Exclusive Report: 

Prepared by: Wimal Navaratnam
Date: September 02, 2025

Disclaimer
This report reflects the author’s analysis of publicly available information and scholarly sources. The perspectives and interpretations herein do not necessarily represent the views of any institution or government. All efforts have been made to verify the credibility of the source; however, readers are encouraged to consult the primary documents for further validation.

1. Introduction

Since Sri Lanka’s independence in 1948, successive governments have maintained a unitary state structure that systematically denies the Tamil minority recognition as a distinct nation and thwarts their right to self-determination (Singh, 2018). The recent visit by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to Jaffna on September 1, 2025, exemplifies this enduring pattern. Although cloaked in development rhetoric—such as inaugurating an international cricket stadium and digitizing the Jaffna Library—the trip failed to address core Tamil demands for justice, truth, reparations, reconciliation, and political autonomy.

2. Historical Continuity of State Aggression

2.1 Denial of Nationhood

From the 1956 Sinhala Only Act to successive failures to implement power-devolution accords (e.g., Bandaranaike–Chelvanayakam Pact, 1957; Indo-Lanka Accord, 1987), the unitary state model has repeatedly overridden Tamil calls for autonomy (Weeramantry, 2002).

2.2 Systemic Discrimination

Educational standardization policies in the 1970s curtailed Tamil access to university entrance (Wilson, 2008), while post-war militarization entrenches land seizures and curtails civil liberties in the North and East (Amnesty International, 2024).

2.3 Broken Promises

Despite constitutional amendments and international agreements promising devolution, there has been no meaningful transfer of powers or credible transitional justice mechanism to address wartime atrocities (Uyangoda, 2019).

3. Analysis of the 2025 Jaffna Visit

3.1 Symbolic Developments as Distraction

• Cricket Diplomacy: Laying the foundation for the Jaffna International Cricket Stadium aimed to foster national unity but overlooked Tamil political rights.
• Digital Library: Digitizing the Jaffna Library—destroyed in the 1981 unrest—offers cultural consolation without addressing demands for reparations or justice.

3.2 Strategic Assertion over Kachchathivu

Inspecting Kachchathivu Island reaffirmed Sri Lankan sovereignty over a maritime territory contested with India. While bolstering nationalist credentials, it did not engage with Tamil calls for fishing-rights protections or local governance participation.

4. Political Intentions and Omitted Tamil Rights Solutions

1. Maintaining National Unity Narrative
   The government emphasizes economic revival and anti-corruption to sideline ethnic-based grievances (Perera, 2023).
2. Avoiding Constitutional Reform
   Leaders avoid invoking the 13th Amendment or federalism to prevent alienating Sinhalese constituencies (Jayadeva, 2021).
3. Strategic Vagueness
   By not committing to demilitarization or land restitution, the administration preserves flexibility for a unified national coalition (Fernando, 2020).

5. Eelam Tamil Disillusionment

Eelam Tamils view these development projects as a recurring “trap”—a tactic used by every Sinhala-led administration since 1948 to placate Tamil demands without conceding political rights (Singh, 2018). Having witnessed UNP, SLFP, SLPP, and now NPP governments fail to deliver justice or autonomy, many Tamils now see no realistic path within the unitary state framework and are turning to diaspora-led international advocacy.

6. Potential Consequences of Continued Denial

 

Consequence Category	Description
Domestic Instability	Renewed protests, civil disobedience, or radicalization in the North and East (Amnesty International, 2024).
International Diplomatic Fallout	UN Human Rights Council scrutiny; conditional foreign aid; potential sanctions (OHCHR, 2025).
Humanitarian Crisis	Increased asylum-seeking by Tamils; stateless populations; diaspora lobbying for international intervention (Tamil Guardian, 2025).
Economic and Developmental Decline	Reduced FDI and tourism in Tamil-majority regions; delayed infrastructure projects (World Bank, 2024).
Erosion of the Rule of Law	Impunity for wartime abuses undermines judicial credibility; families of the disappeared remain without recourse (Uyangoda, 2019).

7. Conclusion and Call to Action

President Dissanayake’s 2025 visit to Jaffna perpetuates a decades-long pattern of symbolic development masking the refusal to grant Tamils political recognition and self-determination. Eelam Tamils must remain vigilant against these tactics and continue advocating for structural reform, transitional justice, and the fundamental right to nationhood within their ancestral lands.

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References

·        Amnesty International. (2024). Sri Lanka: Militarization and human rights. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/sri-lanka-report-2024

·        Fernando, H. (2020). Political vagueness and electoral strategies in post-war Sri Lanka. Journal of South Asian Studies, 35(2), 123–139.

·        Jayadeva, V. (2021). The 13th Amendment: Promise and neglect. Colombo Political Review, 12(1), 45–61.

·        OHCHR. (2025, June 20). UN human rights chief Volker Türk to visit Sri Lanka from 23–26 June. Retrieved from https://www.ohchr.org/en/media-advisories/2025/06/un-human-rights-chief-volker-turk-visit-sri-lanka-23-26-june

·        Perera, S. (2023). National crisis narratives in Sri Lankan politics. Economic & Political Weekly, 58(7), 77–84.

·        Singh, K. (2018). Tamil self-determination and the unitary state. International Journal of Human Rights, 22(4), 489–510.

·        Tamil Guardian. (2025, June 25). UN human rights chief visits Chemmani mass grave site in Jaffna. Retrieved from https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/un-human-rights-chief-visits-chemmani-mass-grave-site-jaffna

·        Uyangoda, J. (2019). Transitional justice challenges in Sri Lanka. Asian Legal Review, 27(3), 201–220.

·        Weeramantry, C. G. (2002). The Tamil agitation: prelude to the conflict in Sri Lanka. Colombo: University Press.

·        Wilson, A. J. (2008). The Break-Up of Sri Lanka: The Sinhalese-Tamil Conflict. Washington, DC: C. Hurst & Co.

·        World Bank. (2024). Sri Lanka economic update: regional disparities and development. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org/sri-lanka-economic-update-2024