The Armed Ethnic Conflict

The document analyzes the escalation of the Sinhalese-Tamil ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka from 1983 to 1986, focusing on the 'criminal fire'—reprisals and atrocities—committed by both government security forces and Tamil guerrillas. It argues that the conflict has evolved from social discrimination into an ethnic war where the conduct of armed forces actively reproduces the violence. The author proposes a two-step resolution process: first, the application of the Law of Armed Conflict and Human Rights Law to de-escalate military violence, followed by the use of human rights law to manage the political struggle. The report suggests international assistance from the UN, the Commonwealth, and the Red Cross, and advocates for radical reform of the Sri Lankan police and army to make them representative of both ethnic communities.

• The ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka evolved from a state of prejudice and institutional discrimination up to the 1970s, into a period of repression and terror between 1979 and 1983, and finally into a state of systematic warfare and criminal reprisals from mid-1983 onwards.
• The conflict is characterized by a symbiotic relationship between repressive state terrorism and separatist terrorism, where escalation in one triggers an increase in the other.
• Government security forces have engaged in indiscriminate attacks on civilians, including 'scorched earth' actions in the Eastern province intended to force Tamil emigration and ensure a Sinhalese majority.
• Tamil guerrilla groups have shifted from selective acts of self-defence to sustained offensive military actions, including the execution of suspected collaborators via 'lamp-post killings' and attacks on Sinhalese civilians.
• The Sri Lankan armed forces are identified in practice as Sinhalese forces, with Tamil representation in the police falling to approximately 3% by 1986, while enlisted army ranks were nearly 100% Sinhalese.
• The report identifies a significant international arms trade supporting both sides, noting that Belgian equipment reached Tamil rebels through a complex forwarding process involving 'end user' certificates for Paraguay and transit through Lisbon and Singapore.
• The author argues that the Law of Armed Conflict and Human Rights Law should be used as tools for conflict management to stop the escalation of violence and create a climate suitable for political negotiation.
• The report proposes that the police in Sri Lanka should be transformed into an 'organization of the people' and potentially split into two forces along ethnic/regional divides to ensure consensual unity.
• The financial cost of the conflict is substantial, with defence expenditure reaching approximately 5.5% of GNP by 1986, and a total estimated bill of around 15 billion rupees including rehabilitation and infrastructure repair.
• The report suggests the establishment of a UN Task-Team to act as an Observation Mission, a Monitoring Group for negotiations, and a source of technical expertise for war eradication and military reform.

APA

Marino, E. (1987). The Armed Ethnic Conflict. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/67e9ca0c-526a-40a7-a97a-f8e87a349916/Marino - The Armed Component of Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka PRIO Report 1986.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Marino, Eduardo. The Armed Ethnic Conflict. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 1987. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/67e9ca0c-526a-40a7-a97a-f8e87a349916/Marino - The Armed Component of Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka PRIO Report 1986.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Marino |first1=Eduardo |title=The Armed Ethnic Conflict |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=June 1987 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/67e9ca0c-526a-40a7-a97a-f8e87a349916/Marino - The Armed Component of Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka PRIO Report 1986.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{marino1987armed, author = {Marino, Eduardo}, title = {{The Armed Ethnic Conflict}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {1987}, month = jun, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/67e9ca0c-526a-40a7-a97a-f8e87a349916/Marino - The Armed Component of Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka PRIO Report 1986.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }