2610590672Ankitkumar PatelHSS 405-104Prof. Charles Brooks5/5/2014Sri Lanka and Tamil SeparatismTerritorial issues are involved in various political disputes leading to separatism, usually by minorities in the country (Knight, 1982). Separatism refers to separation or independence from a larger group, however, ethnic separation refers to conflict based on cultural differences between different residents in a country. Sri Lanka is a small island country in South Asia that has experienced ethnic separation rooted in cultural differences, including many factors such as traditional customs, language, and religion that make groups of individuals distinct from each other. Human beings have learned to celebrate their identity and diversity; However, a look at some of history's bloodiest clashes reveals that conflicts arising from ethnic differences have been the cause of many wars. Sri Lanka is an example of one such country where individuals from the Tamil community are discriminated against and rejected by the country's Sinhala community. This caused the Tamils ​​to pursue separatism. Sri Lanka's Tamil and Sinhala communities trace their history to India; however, both groups have had hostilities throughout the country's history (Vijaya, 2011). During British rule the animosity between the two communities was put to rest. After England left the country, enmity flared up because they left without a proper geographic division of the country. Sri Lanka's failure to accommodate its multi-ethnic population after independence from Britain was a major factor in decades of social unrest and separatism that have torn the country apart. Ethnic marginalization of minority populations, which include the Tamils, the Burghers, the Moors... at the center of the paper... if the Tamils ​​find a voice to fight on their behalf to lead them to freedom and independence, the LTTE it sparked a civil war that was seen and recognized around the world. The Tamil people still reside in Sri Lanka as a unified but ethnically separated country. Word quoted Bandarage, Asoka. “Sri Lanka: Facing a Separatist Challenge.” Guardian of Sri Lanka. Np, March 2, 2011. Web. May 1, 2011. Bandarage, Asoka. The separatist conflict in Sri Lanka. Abingdon: Routledge, 2009. 28-47. Network. May 1, 2011.Fernandes, Clinton. Asia and Oceania. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008. 229-31. Network. May 1, 2011."Vijaya." Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica online. 2011. Network. May 1, 2011. Cavaliere, David. “Identity and territory: geographical perspectives on nationalism and regionalism”. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, vol.LXXII (1982):514-531.