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The purpose of this book is to examine the Sinhala - Tamil ethnic crisis in Sri Lanka and to contribute towards a democratic process to resolve it. The book has five chapters. The first chapter introduces the reader to the ethnic crisis and civil war in Sri Lanka. The second chapter gives a detailed account of the historic background to the crisis. It takes the reader through three phases of Sri Lankan history: pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial. It is useful for the reader to know the historic background of the crisis to fully understand its present complexities. The third chapter identifies the root cause of the crisis and explains 10 factors that have contributed to its escalation into a separatist war since independence in 1948. The fourth chapter stresses the importance of having an altogether new political beginning for Sri Lanka as a multi-ethnic, independent nation. It perhaps encapsulates the purpose of this book to suggest a way out of the crisis and work towards a solution. This chapter also discusses the varied governing systems developed in other democracies in the world, and proposes a new democratic governing model for Sri Lanka. The model addresses the ethnic issues in Sri Lanka and formulates a way to establish genuine democracy in the country, giving the power of self-determination to all its peoples. Further, this chapter explains how the country may be able to implement such a new model of democratic governance within its present political climate. The fifth and final chapter calls upon all Sri Lankans to take up the challenge of being part of the central decision making process in making their country a place fit to live in for all. The specific subjects discussed under the five chapters are listed in the Table of Contents below. TABLE OF CONTENTSCONTENTS. Acknowledgements CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION. CHAPTER 2: HISTORIC BACKGROUND. Pre-Colonial Era. Early Settlers Colonial Era. European Colonisation Post-Colonial Era. A Two-Party System CHAPTER 3: PRESENT PARANOIA. Unwinnable War CHAPTER 4: A NEW BEGINNING. Recognize and Accept Diversity CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION. APPENDIX. SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY. INDEX. List of Maps List of Tables List of Charts ISBN 1-55369-793-6 |
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