What Causes Ethnic Conflict? [Part 1]

[updated: 20 June 2008 / 00:37] Violent conflict between rival ethnic groups sometimes breaks out spontaneously, but "ethnic conflict" is mostly a struggle between rival organizations seeking to maintain or gain control of state power and usually leaders use ethnically divisive strategies to mobilize political support. Ethnic-bashing has become a most common strategy for the ethnically bias leaders.

A) Historical Legacies of Mistrust

While I was browsing the net for information on my thesis, I read an article about the historical legacies of mistrust. The author said, historical legacies of mistrust is one of the major contributor for the ethnic conflict. What the author said is 100% right, historical legacies will carry the mistrust among the ethnic, forever. Every year when the Jews mark its annual Holocaust Remembrance Day they will vow the Jewish state would never allow the Jewish genocide to be repeated and they will never stop asking their self every morning what they must do to prevent what happened to ever repeat itself. I do believe this has not been practiced by the Jews community only but then who ever has experienced the ethnic conflict will vow the same way as Jews do. In many parts of this world people has experienced the ethnic conflict, in Northern Ireland, Middle East, Sri Lanka, Serbians, Croatians, Bosnian, East Timor, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Europe etc. In Malaysia although we don’t have memorial day for the worst political cum ethnic clashes “13 May 1969” but then our political masters use to remind the citizens not to “play with fire”. It’s crystal clear the sentence was referring to ethnic conflict on May, 13 1969. People are so worried about the historical legacies of mistrust and this is the reality on why even today the ethnic conflict has become as one of the major conflict. These historical legacies of mistrust and hatred are not genetically transmitted from one generation to another but then the community members and even elites in order to remain in power use to insulate their younger generation the negative side of history. In longer term this has created the mistrust among the community and even among the citizens of the country. As far as historical legacies of mistrust continue then the ethnic mistrust will prevail.

B) Victim Mentality

Second reason on why we have ethnic conflict was a victim mentality. Members and leaders of contending ethnic groups, whether they are presently discriminating against a subordinate group or the object of discrimination, often portray themselves as victims. A "victim" mentality helps unite group members behind their leaders and justifies present sacrifices. Moreover members of a victimized group feel justified in victimizing others --being a victim in the past, real or imagined, thus does not ensure humane treatment of rival ethnic groups in the present. Ethnic leaders seek control of state power to ensure their group is never victimized again, to right past wrongs and to avenge past oppression. The best examples, I can quote here is Sri Lanka ethnic conflict. Sri Lanka's Sinhalese majority also viewed themselves as victims. They resented the favorable treatment given to Tamils under colonial rule and by conservative post-independence governments. They felt discriminated against by government language policies that placed their language, Sinhala, in an inferior position and made it difficult for them to communicate with public officials. They feared the Tamils would make common cause with their ethnic brethren in South India's populous Tamil Nadu State. In the words of historian K.M. de Silva, the Sinhalese were a "majority group with a minority complex". This attitude fueled political support for Sinhalese nationalist leaders such as S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, Sirimavo Bandaranaike and J.R. Jayewardene whose policies convinced many Tamils there was no alternative to secession..... will continue.....