Social Studies

Sample Essay
P
Refusing to give Tamils citizenship rights was
one of the causes of conflict in Sri Lanka
EE The Sinhalese government granted
citizenship rights only to those who were
born in Sri Lanka. Thus, the Ceylon
Citizenship Act caused many Tamils to
become stateless.
1 million Tamils did not gain citizenship.
(Example)
India tried to help some Indian Tamils return
to India however, about 100,000 Indian
Tamils remained stateless.

Causes of Conflict in Sri Lanka

Structure
Point State the factor you are
going to explain in the essay.
Elaborate with Examples
Provide clear details about
- What happened?
- Why did it happen?
- Who did the situation
affect?
- How were they affected?
An example is
- A name e.g. Tamil Tigers
- A place e.g. Jaffna
- A number e.g. 10,000
Tamils

Tamils helped to contribute to the economy

through construction and working as tea
plantation workers. However, their
contribution was not recognised at all.
L

Without citizenship, the Tamils were unable

to vote for their government representatives.
They became angry and resented the
Sinhalese government for refusing them the
rights of citizenship.
They felt that the government neglected the
Tamils.

Links
Show the result and effect on
people and country.
Provide clear details about
- In what ways were the
people / country affected?
- What was their reaction?
- How did they feel about
it?
- What did they do about it?

This anger and hatred towards the

government resulted in them going against
the Sinhalese, leading into the conflict.
Explain how the Sinhala Only Language Act caused the conflict in Sri
Lanka.
[5]
The Sinhala Only Language Act caused the conflict in Sri Lanka.
After independence, the Sinhalese government made Sinhala the official language of
Sri Lanka. The government also changed the administrative language from English to
Sinhala. Tamil civil servants were affected as they have to learn Sinhala within 3
years or lose their jobs.
The Act was unfair to Tamil civil servants as they could not become fluent in Sinhala
quickly. Many lost their jobs or could not get promotions. The Tamils tried to protest
peacefully but their requests were ignored by the Sri Lanka government. The Tamils
felt they were unfairly treated and were angry with the government. This anger

Social Studies

Causes of Conflict in Sri Lanka

caused Tamils believe that the only way to solve the conflict was through violence
and this caused greater tension between the Tamils and the Sinhalese.
Explain how the resettlement of the Tamils led to the conflict in Sri
Lanka.
[5]
The resettlement of the Tamils was one of the factors that led to the conflict in Sri
Lanka.
After independence, the government decided to resettle poor Sinhalese peasants
from the crowded areas to Tamil-majority areas. These peasants, Buddhist Monks as
well as Sinhalese soldiers took over whole villages and they were also protected by
the Sri Lankan Army. The Army used guns and violence to drive away the Tamils,
making them homeless. These Tamils ended up staying in crowded refugee camps
which usually have no clean water or electricity.
The Tamils were angry with the government for taking away their land and homes.
They ended up having to compete with the Sinhalese for territory. In order to get
their homeland back, some Tamils joined the LTTE and believed that violence was
the only way to get back their homes. This anger towards the Sinhalese government
led towards the conflict.
Explain how changes in university admission criteria caused the conflict
in Sri Lanka.
[5]
The changes in university admission criteria was one of the causes of the conflict in
Sri Lanka.
After independence, the government changed the university admission criteria. It
was no longer based on merit. Tamils have to score higher marks compared to
Sinhalese in the same examinations. This resulted in a great reduction of Tamil
university students while Sinhalese students increased by a lot. Tamils were given
limited places in popular university courses such as engineering and medical courses.
There was also a strict quota of Tamil students in universities.
This resulted in Tamil students being deprived of university education and job
opportunities. They felt that their future was deprived and destroyed. They were very
angry at the government and felt that they were biased against Tamils. Students
ended up rioting and some joined the LTTE, leading to more conflict.