Abstract
A brief history of the current ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka is presented. Next, a discussion of the characteristics of intractable conflict is offered. The conflict between the Sinhalese and Tamils in Sri Lanka is viewed in this light. Discussed are core aspects of Sinhalese and Tamil identity, each based on a mythic past and contentious present in which the two are antagonists. How this plays out and contributes to the intractability of the struggle is highlighted. Suggestions as to how this conflict might begin to be resolved are offered.
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Sahadevan, P. Resistance to Resolution: Explaining the Intractability of Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka. International Journal of Group Tensions 27, 19–41 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022936225463
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022936225463