Namaste Readers,
One of the international students I met is from Sri Lanka, and he attended the #1 university in his country ( near the Capital ), and studied Philosophy. He was the valedictorian of his high school, and he ranked in the top 30s nationwide. He's motivated to complete a MAs program in Asia Leaders Programme at University of Peace so he can help his country during its transition from civil war to peace/unity.
Over iced tea, he summarized the Sri Lanka situation to me. Most of the issue boiled down to colonialism and its aftermath. Prior to the British Invasion ( not to be confused with the Beatles or the Spice Girls mania ). A caste system in practice divided the "country" into the haves ( minority Elites ) and have-nots ( majority non-Elites ). The have-nots perceived the British as the good guys for providing them with opportunities such as education and job prospects.
After warfare and exploitation, the British finally granted Sri Lanka its independence. However, trouble didn't end with British withdrawal. The ones, who came into power after the British, decided to make English and their language ( familiar only to them ), the country's official language ( without consenting with a majority of the population ). Thus seeds of hatred started to blossom leading into a civil war.
Other politics came into play as well: resentment towards the others for siding with the British during colonial period; affection for its connection to Ancient Indian kingdoms; influence from terrorist networks from around the world, etc. All of these are lurking in today's post civil war Sri Lanka, where Peace is not defined by mutual understanding and harmony, but rather as a hiatus from warfare ( government and the "country" didn't come up with a Peace treaty/compromise, instead government suppressed/killed a majority of the insurgents ).
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