Sri Lanka

British colonizers left behind a divided island in 1948, having stoked pre-existing power struggles between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamil communities by favouring the latter during their rule. The largely Buddhist Sinhalese comprise 75 percent of the population, while Tamils, who are mostly Hindu (but also Christian) make up 15 percent. The Muslim community, who also speak Tamil, are 9 percent of the population, and other minorities constitute less than 1 percent. Sinhalese dominance in government and a raft of ethnically chauvinist legislation in the wake of independence eventually led to the outbreak of civil war in 1983. It is important to note, however, that there are significant class, caste, religious regional divisions within communities as well, and these are used strategically by politicians for their own ends. In addition, the government suppressed a violent insurrection led by the communist nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) between 1987 and 1989.

In ensuing years, politics was driven by politicized ethnicity, and political violence – perpetrated both by the state and by the LTTE and other armed groups – became normalized. Since the large majority of the fighting was isolated in the north and east, the south and west of the country continued to operate “normally,” and Sri Lanka maintained its reputation as a hot spot for tourism during these years. The end of the war was seriously tainted by allegations of human rights violations perpetrated by the state, and the government refused to cooperate with a UN-led investigation into these events. The post-war era has also been marked by the rise to prominence of new social cleavages, including anti-Muslim sentiment and Islamic terrorism. Attacks blamed on groups affiliated with ISIS killed almost 270 people in the simultaneous church and hotel Easter Sunday bombings in 2019.

The country was further militarized in the aftermath of the war, particularly in the war-torn regions, and the media and civil liberties remained restricted. At the same time, many Tamils in the north were resentful of the government’s continued refusal to address some of the root causes of the war and its “pampering” of former LTTE leaders who had brutalized the community. The Prevention of Terrorism Act, enacted in 1979, remained in force and has allowed the continued surveillance, kidnapping, torture, harassment and detention of Tamils who are allegedly guilty of trying to recreate the LTTE.

In the coming years, Sri Lanka’s democracy will need to grapple with an economic crisis coupled with the pervasive militarization of civilian governmental functions. Accountability mechanisms for civil-war-era violations, corruption and threats to independent institutions and the rule of law remain significant challenges. Declines in Impartial Administration and Civil Liberties will need to be closely monitored. Conversely, amid growing public pressure and a cabinet reshuffle, constitutional reforms such as the 21st Amendment aimed at empowering the parliament over the executive presidency may provide an opportunity to address some of the nation’s negative democratic trends.