So the current conflict is between the Buddhist majority, and a Hindu minority? If so, that's quite surprising.
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I've just always thought of the two groups as peaceful, especially Buddhists. But then, the Tibetans had slaves, I think, so that's not so.
And also the major conflicts of cultures in that region, AFAIK, have always been between Hindus and Muslims... and the British.
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They're all human. With humans, some want power and don't care who gets in the way or who gets hurt or killed. Religion doesn't matter, nor does culture, socioeconomic status, or any number of things except perhaps in how they can manifest that grab for power. Corruption is everywhere - it just manifests itself in different ways depending on the environment.
While the war in Sri Lanka is a religious war, it's not religious - it's human.
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As a side note, in Thailand, it's mandatory to study in a Buddhist monastery for a couple of years. Well, if you have mandatory requirements like that, then you WILL get people of all types - thieves, murderers, rapists, and so on - looking like, acting like, living like Buddhist monks at the Buddhist temples.
As for major conflicts of culture... Well, no, it can't be narrowed down to Hindu, Muslim, and British. There's a lot more than that going on here, and the British are more recent.
Let's talk about Sri Lanka in a bit more detail for a minute... The original occupants of this country - remember, it's an island, so the borders haven't changed over the years like they do when there's more than one country on a land mass - were Veddahs. Then the Sinhalese (Buddhist) invaded some 2500 years ago. The Tamil (from Tamil Nadu, which is southern India - and they're Hindu) people first came over - and took over - about two thousand years ago. There were a number of wars over the next thousand years or so between the Sinhalese and the Tamil. Well, really, the clashes never stopped...
The Moors (Muslims) arrived and settled some 600 or so years ago.
Well, the Chinese emporer even had his hands in the pie back in the 15th century, and for some 30 years, Sri Lanka paid tribute to him.
The Portugeuse arrived in about 1503 and stayed until the Dutch, who arrived in 1602, took over the island in 1660. In 1802, Ceylon then became a British colony and, from what I've read, the Brits did their part to foster enmity between the Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslims, and Burghers (those of mixed descent between Sinhalese and the Dutch or Portugeuse) by playing one ethnic group off another. The Brits stayed until 1948 when the country gained independence.
About the Dutch and Portugeuse - well, let's face it, European countries had their hands in a lot of countries out here, not just the Brits. Vietnam was ruled by the French for a century and a half. Cambodia was as well. The Portugeuse ruled a portion of India - Goa. The list goes on and on.
There's a much more complicated history here than saying it's always been between Hindus, Muslims, and the Brits.
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Well I'm putting off reading two novels (my official research ) about Sri Lanka until I've read Guns, Germs, and Steel. But I'm now also putting off reading that until I've read all of Quid's and Fahim's posts about- you guessed it- Sri Lanka. Posts: 1138 | Registered: Nov 2005
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You might want to read my blog as well. (Yeah, yeah, haven't updated it in a while - that's on my list of things to do this week.)
Also, Anil's Ghost - I've read part of it. It bored me. *sigh* It's sad, but I haven't yet encountered a Sri Lankan whose writing style appealed to me other than Fahim. Michael Ondaatje is Sri Lankan - Dutch Burgher. He's also written novels about life in Sri Lanka, so you could check him out, too. For that matter, if you want, I can give you a list of Sri Lankan authors and their books, although I haven't read most of them.
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) about Sri Lanka until I've read Guns, Germs, and Steel. But I'm now also putting off reading that until I've read all of Quid's and Fahim's posts about- you guessed it- Sri Lanka. ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
