Sri Lanka: Sinhala Nationalism and the Elusive Southern Consensus

The latest report from the International Crisis Group examines the nationalism of Sri Lanka's largest ethnic community and its relationship to the almost 25-year conflict. Recent history shows the Sinhalese are not unalterably opposed to a fair deal for the minority Tamils but competition between their major parties, the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), together with the violence and intransigence of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), have led President Rajapaksa to adopt a hardline nationalist approach. Until the sources of Sinhalese nationalism are taken more seriously, it will continue to challenge attempts to produce a political settlement.

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Sri Lanka: Sinhala Nationalism and the Elusive Southern Consensus