Sri Lanka Overview

Sri Lanka is an island nation which lays in the Indian ocean about 50km off the coast of India across the Palk Strait. It was previously known by the name of Ceylon until 1972, when it became the Republic of Sri Lanka and later the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in 1978. It is believed that the first modern settlers of Sri Lanka came from western India, with follow on settlers from Bengal and Odisha in the north-east. This was known as the Indo-Aryan settlement and the people were known as the Sinhalese who still constitute the largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka. 

Some of the coastal areas of Sri Lanka were controlled by the Portuguese in the 16th century and the Dutch in the 17th century. The island was then ruled by the British from 1796, becoming a crown colony in 1802, and uniting under British rule in 1815. The country became independent in 1948. Ethnic tensions between the Sinhalese (~75% of the population) and Tamil (~10%) have existed for decades, although the two groups do generally interact peacefully with one another. The next largest group are the Sri Lankan Moors at ~9.5%, who are largely Muslim. The vast majority of the Sinhalese are Buddhist and the vast majority of the Tamils are Hindu. Thus, ethnicity and religion are closely bound. The Sinhalese generally speak Sinhala and Tamil, and Sri Lankan Moors mostly speak Tamil. English has remained common since British rule. 

For further information on Sri Lanka, see the resources below:

Articles:

1. Sri Lanka Britannica
2. Sri Lanka Country Profile – DFAT 
3. Sri Lanka Country Profile – BBC
4. Sri Lanka Articles – The Guardian
5. Sri Lanka – general facts and information – CIA World Factbook

Videos:

1. Why Doesn't India Own Sri Lanka? (youtube.com)
2. Complete History of Sri Lanka (youtube.com)

Culture/Demographics

Sri Lankan culture has been created from a broad range of influences such as Buddhist and Hindu ideals, colonial touch points, ethnic diversity, and modern globalisation. ‘Face’ is a large part of Sri Lankan culture. Face is the reputation, dignity, and honour of oneself. By respecting and giving honour to someone else, you give them face. People can lose face by acting inappropriately, being contradicted or being criticised. Sri Lankans tend to save face by remaining calm in testing situations and by lending a helping hand to others in need as is customary in a collectivist society. 

Sri Lanka has a social status ‘caste’ system much like India. The Sri Lankan caste system is formed on the basis of social ranking through land ownership and social standing, rather than religious notions like the Indian system. Tamils will tend to subscribe to the Indian caste system due to their predominantly Hindu beliefs. 

For further information on Sri Lankan culture, see the resources below: 

Articles:

1. Cultural Atlas – Sri Lankan Culture
2. Sri Lankan Culture - Core Concepts — Cultural Atlas (sbs.com.au)
3. Sri Lanka - Culture, Religion, Cuisine | Britannica
4. Sri Lankan Culture - Etiquette — Cultural Atlas (sbs.com.au)

National Psyche

In 2009 the leader of the Liberal Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was killed after more than 25 years of conflict. LTTE, labelled a terrorist group by the Government of Sri Lanka, has inflicted violence on the people of Sri Lanka while driving a deep separation between Tamils and Sinhalese. Only now has Sri Lanka been able to generate some semblance of unity between ethnicities in Sri Lanka. However racial tensions still exist due to the strong presence of Sinhala Buddhist influence throughout the government and upper levels of society. 

For further information on Sri Lankan psyche, see the resources below: 

Articles:

1. After the War: A New Patriotism in Sri Lanka? on JSTOR
2. Sinhalese Nationalism and Social Conflict in Ceylon on JSTOR

Public Diplomacy

Like many south Asian countries, the diversity of the region means that Sri Lanka must focus on public diplomacy and foreign relationships within its region. Sri Lanka has a Public Diplomacy Division (PD) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which acts as an interface between the government and external stakeholders. The PD acts in the nations interest by liaising with local and foreign media, responding to negative foreign media and all matters that relate to Sri Lanka’s foreign policy.

For further information on Sri Lankan public diplomacy, see the resource below: 

Article:

1. Public Diplomacy and Spokesperson – Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Sri Lanka (mfa.gov.lk)

Media and Internet

Around half of Sri Lanka’s population were internet users in 2022 and around 30-40% had a social media account. Sri Lanka’s television media is dominated by privately owned networks which are largely critical of the government and its policies. There are numerous allegations of government incited violent crimes against journalists. The State owns just two television stations. The press consists of a number of private and state owned outlets in a mixture of Sinhala, Tamil, and English languages. There is one state owned radio station and numerous private stations. TamilNet is a pro-Tamil Tiger, US based news website. 

For further information on Sri Lankan media and internet, see the resources below: 

Articles:

1. Digital 2022: Sri Lanka — DataReportal – Global Digital Insights
2. Sri Lanka media guide – BBC News
3. Sri Lanka’s Constitutional Crisis and the Right to Press Freedom – The Diplomat

International Forums

Sri Lanka is a part of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The SAARC aims to promote economic growth, social progress, and cultural development within the South Asia region. 

For further information on Sri Lankan international forums, see the resources below: 

Articles:

1. South Asia and SAARC Division – Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Sri Lanka (mfa.gov.lk)
2. South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation | Migrant Forum in Asia (mfasia.org)