# how the Sri Lankan Army treat tamils **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 27, 2006, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102 "2006-10-27T13:03:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wildfire\_MM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f08c70/32.png) [@Wildfire\_MM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildfire_MM)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/1 "2006-10-27T13:03:25Z")
warning the photos are strong _Link removed_ ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/2 "2006-10-27T13:44:27Z")
Thanks for the link-and-run. Too much trouble to at least explain what “Tamils” are so people know what they’re clicking? For anyone who’s wondering, they’re an ethnic group, and the pictures are of dead men, women, and children. I’m not familiar with the term, and I assumed it referred to some kind of animal. No offense intended, I just really didn’t know. All that being said, those are horrible pictures. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/3 "2006-10-27T14:00:36Z")
Wait, so the Tamil Tigers aren’t actually tigers? Would the OP _please_ stop doing these drive-by pittings? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/4 "2006-10-27T14:21:08Z")
Sheesh. Leave it to **Wildfire** to do a one-liner on a legitimately Pittable (if still valid) issue. The ethnic composition of Sri Lanka traditionally included two groups – the somewhat-more-dominant and majority Sinhalese (an Indo-Aryan group, if you happen to be interested in ethnolinguistics) and the Srilankan Tamils, a Dravidian group indistinguishable from their compeers in South India, who tended to be lower class but were not unduly discriminated against – officially; it resembles parts of the non-South U.S. before the civil rights movement, where black people were “officially” the equal of whites but tended to get lower-stature, low-paying jobs and be restricted in where they were welcomed to live, etc. Somewhere during the British Raj, additional workers were imported to the island, and by and large, given the Tamil people already present, these tended to be Indian Tamils. The net result was a major shift in sociocultural structures. The Tamils became more nearly a majority people (I believe they are the majority now), and the Indian Tamils began agitating for equal treatment, joined to varying degrees by the Srilankan Tamils. For a while this turned into a half-baked civil war – the kind where guerrillas and assassination raids, rather than actual troops controlling territory, are par for the course. I was under the impression that some sort of modus vivendi had been put in place and that the Tamils were, if not satified, at least accepting of a compromise settlement. Anyone want to provide more background? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/5 "2006-10-27T14:27:39Z")
[QUOTE=Slacker] Too much trouble to at least explain what “Tamils” are [/QUOTE] Crappy OP as ever, I agree, but come on. Rather less charitably than **Polycarp** , I don’t think it’s too much to expect that dopers know the name of the members of the second/third most serious insurgency in the world. That’s a pathetic request, I’m afraid. Anyway, when you see what [Tamil Tigers do to the Sri Lankan military](http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1017/dailyUpdate.html), you realise it’s a fucked up situation all round. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/6 "2006-10-27T14:37:40Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Rather less charitably than **Polycarp** , I don’t think it’s too much to expect that dopers know the name of the members of the second/third most serious insurgency in the world. That’s a pathetic request, I’m afraid. [/QUOTE] Good point. I wonder if there’s a website out there where I can fight my ignorance on this and other subjects, then return here when I know everything so we can stroke our beards and discuss the situation intelligently. Sarcasm aside, you really think most people know about this? I’d be willing to bet most people still don’t know about Darfur, must less this situation. Thanks to **Polycarp** for the detail by the way. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/7 "2006-10-27T14:40:53Z")
The ceasefire’s been in trouble for some years. From [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Tigers): > [@](#): > > In 2001, the LTTE _[the Tamil Tigers]_ unexpectedly dropped its demand for a separate state, which had never been accepted by the government or the island’s Sinhala majority. Instead, they stated a form of regional autonomy would meet their demands. The government invited Norway to mediate in the dispute. Norway brokered a ceasefire agreement, which remains precariously in effect. > > Norway and the other Nordic countries jointly monitor the ceasefire through the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission. Since the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement between the Sri Lankan Government and the Tamil Tigers, the Tigers have carried out more than 3,100 reported violations compared to about 140 by the government forces.[6] > > Talks on an interim solution have currently stalled through political uncertainty. The President Chandrika Kumaratunga suspended the government of the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe in 2004, accusing him of being too soft on the LTTE. Kumaratunga herself then took a more conciliatory line towards the LTTE, but the current president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, who took office in November 2005, campaigned on a plank of being tougher on the LTTE. His prime minister, Ratnasiri Wickremanayake has also previously advocated a tougher line. The LTTE has recently stated that the gap between its position and the position of the new Sri Lankan government is vast. It has threatened to “intensify” its campaign if the government does not soon propose a reasonable political framework.[7] The LTTE ordered a boycott of the 2005 presidential elections, which was won by Mahinda Rajapakse, amongst Tamil voters in the East and North of Sri Lanka. This action was condemned by the United States, who cited that “a significant portion of Sri Lanka’s people were unable to express their views”, and by opponents of Rajapakse who claim that the boycott played an important role in his victory.[8] > > Negotiations resumed briefly in February 2006, but were indefinitely postponed again in April after the parties were unable to agree on a mode of transport for LTTE commanders from the east of Sri Lanka to travel to the LTTE headquarters. Violent incidents increased, and by summer 2006 there was growing talk of a “Final War” for Tamil Eelam independence. As for being a “half-baked” civil war, that’s not quite right. The Tigers held the Jaffna Pensinsula and other territory for some time and defended it. They act as the government of 10% of the country in the sense that they provide police, hospitals, schools etc. In addition, this is the conflict that gave the world the suicide bomber as a regular tactic. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/8 "2006-10-27T14:55:25Z")
[QUOTE=Slacker] Sarcasm aside, you really think most people know about this? I’d be willing to bet most people still don’t know about Darfur, must less this situation. [/QUOTE] Who doesn’t know about Darfur? “This situation” in Sri Lanka has been running for more than 30 years. Tens of thousands have died. It “popularized” suicide bombing. They assassinated the president of Sri Lanka. They also _assassinated the leader of the second biggest country on earth_, for goodness’ sake. The Tigers took over half of a sovereign nation and most recently were in the news embroiled in a huge amouth of post-tsunami reconstruction/hassle. Sorry to insult you **Slacker** , but I don’t think you should get a free pass for not having heard of “this situation”. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/9 "2006-10-27T15:14:01Z")
> [@](#): > > Sorry to insult you Slacker, but I don’t think you should get a free pass for not having heard of “this situation”. So on a board ostensibly dedicated to fighting ignorance, anyone who actually expresses ignorance has earned derision for it. I see. There’s only so much I can pay attention to, and only so much I seem to be able to retain. I’d also like to thank **Polycarp** for the succinct recap of “this situation,” because I needed it. I would very much like to be erudite on all things sociopolitical, but I’m not. Looking down your nose at ignoramuses like me will never accomplish as much as an elegant post like Poly’s. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/10 "2006-10-27T15:16:04Z")
Was more really needed in the OP? It’s a safe bet he or she was coming out _against_ the killing of children, and if you don’t know what a tamil is we have thing called The Google on the internets, it’s quite a popular way to figure out stuff like that these days. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/11 "2006-10-27T15:23:17Z")
[QUOTE=Beadalin] So on a board ostensibly dedicated to fighting ignorance, anyone who actually expresses ignorance has earned derision for it. I see. [/QUOTE] The Civil War is not some obscure event. Anyone who pays any sort of attention to world affairs should have heard about it. And if not, surely the correct response here is to go and inform yourself if you’re interested, not bitch about not having heard of something any half-way informed person should be familiar with? It’s not like Google and Wiki don’t exist. The Fight Against Ignorance should involve a degree of self-help. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/12 "2006-10-27T15:32:37Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Anyway, when you see what [Tamil Tigers do to the Sri Lankan military](http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1017/dailyUpdate.html), you realise it’s a fucked up situation all round. [/QUOTE] Yeah, there’s really not much in the way of moral high ground in that conflict, at least among those who keep committing these acts of violence. As usual, everyday people just trying to live their lives are the ones who pay the biggest price, not the gun- and bomb-toting militants on either side. I worked with a Sri Lankan guy in Sydney whose family had fled Sri Lanka due to threats from _both_ sides. His father was Tamil and his mother was Sinhalese. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/13 "2006-10-27T15:35:30Z")
[QUOTE=Beadalin] So on a board ostensibly dedicated to fighting ignorance, anyone who actually expresses ignorance has earned derision for it. I see. [/QUOTE] If someone hasn’t heard of XHTML calls or hadrons, that’s fair enough. But major, current world events should be part of basic knowledge. You needn’t be erudite on all things sociopolitical, as I am not either, but I feel there’s a basic minimum that a normal, educated person should know, such as, prior to 2001, the biggest insurgency in the world. > [@](#): > > Looking down your nose at ignoramuses like me will never accomplish as much as an elegant post like Poly’s. As I said, I’m uncharitable about this. **Poly** is a kinder person than I. Anyway, it’s hard to look down one’s nose when one’s jaw is on the floor. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/14 "2006-10-27T15:42:48Z")
[QUOTE=tagos] The Civil War is not some obscure event. Anyone who pays any sort of attention to world affairs should have heard about it. And if not, surely the correct response here is to go and inform yourself if you’re interested, not bitch about not having heard of something any half-way informed person should be familiar with? It’s not like Google and Wiki don’t exist. The Fight Against Ignorance should involve a degree of self-help. [/QUOTE] Google requires one to sort through the crap, and Wiki may or may not give a good in-depth synopsis. Asking for good resources to wizen oneself on a subject is not out of line. As for the OP, a drive-by link is SOP, and does nothing to foster conversation. ---
**Author:** ![Wildfire\_MM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f08c70/32.png) [@Wildfire\_MM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildfire_MM)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/15 "2006-10-27T15:45:53Z")
why said that Buddhism was all about peace? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/16 "2006-10-27T15:49:16Z")
[QUOTE=Wildfire\*\*MM] why said that Buddhism was all about peace? [/QUOTE] Why not? ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/17 "2006-10-27T15:49:55Z")
[QUOTE=Wildfire\*\*MM] why said that Buddhism was all about peace? [/QUOTE] And who’s on first base? ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/18 "2006-10-27T15:59:41Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] … But major, current world events should be part of basic knowledge… …You needn’t be erudite on all things sociopolitical, as I am not either, but I feel there’s a basic minimum that a normal, educated person should know, such as, prior to 2001, the biggest insurgency in the world. [/QUOTE] So the yardstick for a normal, educated person is based on the topics _YOU_ are familiar with? Really snotty response. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/19 "2006-10-27T16:03:03Z")
> [@](#): > > You needn’t be erudite on all things sociopolitical, as I am not either, but I feel there’s a basic minimum that a normal, educated person should know, such as, prior to 2001, the biggest insurgency in the world. I get that. My point was that a succinct summary of even immensely important current events – or a link to a good summary – is helpful. Something that I struggle with how news is covered is that stories tend to a) offer only the latest developments and b) depend on knowledge of all the previous coverage. Poly’s post gave the whole history in one swoop, and served as a reminder about the causes of the ongoing conflict. Should it be necessary for Poly or other knowledgeable types to post such a summary? No. But on a board to fight ignorance, it can only help. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102/20 "2006-10-27T16:24:46Z")
FYI: “LTTE” stands for “Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.” “Tamil Eelam” is the name that Sri Lankan Tamils use for the territory they wish to make into a politically autonomous territory. [QUOTE=jjimm] They also _assassinated the leader of the second biggest country on earth_, for goodness’ sake. [/QUOTE] For the record, Rajiv Gandhi was no longer prime minister when he was killed by a Tamil Tiger suicide bomber. He was, however, campaigning in an election that he hoped would return him to the premiership. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-sri-lankan-army-treat-tamils/378102.md?page=2)