A territorial-integrity fear drives Sinhalese opposition to any Tamil autonomy.
Evidence
Many argue that the LTTE has never jettisoned the quest to create a separate state and has simply used the peace processes to rearm and regroup. The LTTE says that it could agree to a federal arrangement, yet its proposals for conflict resolution are more confederal than federal in nature. It is also clear that successive Sri Lankan governments have been unable to craft a political arrangement that would allow the island’s Tamils to live with dignity and self-respect. Most Sinhalese oppose federalism. They fear it would eventually lead to the country’s dismemberment. In addition, radical Sinhalese and Buddhist nationalists insist that Sri Lanka be maintained as a unitary state. These radicals have adopted hostile attitudes and policies toward parliamentarians, civil society activists, diplomats, clergy, and NGOs advocating devolution or federalism as a solution to the civil war. — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology, 609
Categorization
- XREF: Connects to the manufactured-threat theme: the ‘dismemberment’ fear functions as the internal glue keeping Sinhalese solidarity against federalism. — connects to: Nationalists pursue war to deliberately displace Tamils and boost Sinhalese dominance — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist…, 278; Language loyalty overrides religious division to unify Sinhalese against Tamils. — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist…, 241; Sinhalese nationalist population-counting is driven by security and majoritarian domination fears. — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist…, 277 (+1 more)
Broader Connections
- Nationalists pursue war to deliberately displace Tamils and boost Sinhalese dominance
#expands(0.80) — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology, 278 - Language loyalty overrides religious division to unify Sinhalese against Tamils.
#qualifies(0.75) — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology, 241 - Sinhalese nationalist population-counting is driven by security and majoritarian domination fears.
#complicates(0.75) — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology, 277 - Sinhalese nationalists engineered demographic consolidation of Tamil regions through state land seizure.
#expands(0.75)