Jaffna Peninsula in the North of Sri Lanka
Information on Sri Lanka
History
The history of Sri Lanka ranges back to pre‐historic times; human settlements have been discovered from the Paleolithic era. The earliest documentation referring to the island dates back to 380 B.C., and it was during this period that Anuradhapura developed into the first major city. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to come to the island, arriving in 1505, with the Dutch following in 1656. The British took over the island in 1796, establishing it as a colony in 1802 and unifying it under British rule in 1818. In 1948 it won its independence, becoming the Commonwealth of Ceylon. In 1972 the country became a republic, and its name was changed to Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, commonly known as Sri Lanka.
Land and Population
Sri Lanka is about the size of Bavaria (slightly larger than West Virginia) and has a population of about 21 Million. 75% live in rural areas, the rest in cities. The population density is 250 people per km². The majority of the population is Singhalese (80%), with other ethnic groups being Sri Lankan Moor (8%), Indian Tamil (5%), Sri Lankan Tamil (4%), Burghers and Malays. 45% of the population work in the agricultural field, while 30% are in industry and 20% are service oriented.
Language
Sri Lanka has two national languages – Sinhala and Tamil. The literacy rate in Sri Lanka is 92%, and their education rate of 86% is one of the highest in Asia.
Climate
Sri Lanka has a typical tropical climate with two Monsoon rains: from the southwest and northeast. For a seaside vacation, the southwest coast from October to April is ideal, but the southeast coast from April through September has the most comfortable climate. The average temperature is around 28°.
The North: A Restless Paradise
The Singhalese majority has been living in conflict with the Tamil minority for the past 2000 years. Over the course of history, Tamils from southern India have migrated into northern Sri Lanka, and the power of the Singhalese King’s has at times extended into India. During the British colonial time (1796 – 1948), over a million Indian Tamils were brought into Sri Lanka as indentured servants to work on the tea plantations in the central highlands. In 1949 the “Indian Tamils” lost their civil rights. In 1965 under head of state Solomon Bandaranaike, Singhalese was made the only official language, ostracizing the Tamils even more. In 1970 the militant Tamil opposition brought about the first acts of violence, and in 1983 a civil war broke out between the Singhalese army and the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam). As a result of the fighting, not only have over 65,000 people been killed, but around 15,000 Tamils have also had to flee the country. Several attempts were made at a cease‐fire, and finally in 2001 one was agreed upon. But since a long‐term political or military solution couldn’t be agreed upon, the fighting flared up again in 2005. Since August 2006, the A9, the main connecting road to Jaffna, has been closed off by the army and goods and people could only reach Jaffna by plane or by ship. This caused very high prices and lack of many basics. In May 2009 the war ended officially. Since then more than 300.000 people live in camps and the reconstruction of the destructed areas will take time. The main road A9 to Jaffna has been partly reopened since June 09 for trucks.
The Jaffna Peninsula
Up until the British Colonial period, the Jaffna peninsula was, to a large extent, independent from the Singhalese King. Since the country’s independence in 1948, the Tamils have been fighting there to create their own nation. In 1995, under President Chandrika Kumaratunga (daughter of the 1959 assassinated Prime Minister Salomon Bandaranaike), a heavy military offensive from the Singhalese army began, by which they the first acts of violence, and in 1983 a civil war broke out between the Singhalese army and the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam). As a result of the fighting, not only have over 65,000 people been killed, but around 15,000 Tamils have also had to flee the country. Several attempts were made at a cease‐fire, and finally in 2001 one was agreed upon. But since a long‐term political or military solution couldn’t be agreed upon, the fighting flared up again in 2005. Since August 2006, the A9, the main connecting road to Jaffna, has been closed off by the army. Under head of state Solomon Bandaranaike, Singhalese was made the only official language, ostracizing the Tamils even more. In 1970 the militant Tamil opposition brought about won back the Jaffna peninsula from the rebel army. Since M. Rajapakse was elected President in November 2005, the tensions between the government and the LTTE have grown. But even with their military nferiority, the Tamil Tigers play an important role in the daily lives of the people. The only land bridge between the peninsula and the rest of the island, the so‐called Elephant Pass, has since fallen back into the hands of the LTTE. Twenty years of civil war has taken its toll on the north: waves of refugees, indescribable suffering, the loss of mothers, fathers and children, destroyed homes and no work. As opposed to the south, the north has no tourism or industries. Agriculture and fishing are the only means of earning a living. In addition to the chaos of war, the December 26, 2004 Tsunami tore the region further apart. The north‐east coast of the Jaffna peninsula was one of the hardest hit regions, the fishing industry being particularly affected from the destruction of the ports and fishing boats.
In spite of many new boats through tsunami aid the fishing was strongly restricted in the last four years due to the military security regulations and curfews. Fishermen were only allowed to fish on certain days of the week and close to the coastal line. The use of motor boats was forbidden, for this reason the fishermen used their traditional wooden catamaran boats. The pickings were small. Since 22nd of June 2009 fishing with motor boats is allowed again!
Point Pedro / Valveditturai
The port city Point Pedro and the nearby fishing village Valveditturai were especially hard hit from the tsunami. Thousands of people lost their lives and thousands of fishing families lost their livelihood when their houses and boats were destroyed. The families have been actively included in the re‐building process, working closely with the local fishing cooperatives and community leaders.
With your help in form of a family sponsorship we want to enable the victims or the disaster to rebuild their lives. In many cases these people have been displaced through the war and live already for many years in temporary shelters.
