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Hindu Responses to Inter-Religious Peace Initiatives in Contemporary Hindu Responses to Inter-Religious Peace Initiatives in Contemporary Sri Lanka Michael John Tilley Submitted in accordance with the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Leeds York St John University Faculty of Education and Theology September 2015 ii The candidate confirms that the work submitted is his own and that appropriate credit has been given where reference has been made to the work of others. This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. The right of Michael John Tilley to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. © 2015 The University of Leeds and Michael John Tilley iii Acknowledgements I would like to express earnest gratitude to my supervisory team, Professor Pauline Kollontai and Professor Sebastian Kim, for their critical insight alongside the years of sustained support and patience. I am also greatly beholden to York St John University for their scholarship programme, without which I would not have been in position to pursue this research. Further appreciation must be extended to my colleagues within the Faculty of Education and Theology, as well as to Dr John Rule and all those involved in overseeing research at YSJU, who each have contributed to the completion of this thesis in their own invaluable ways. This research would of course not have been at all possible without the contribution of various former and current Sri Lankan citizens of myriad ethnicities and religions, and so substantial thanks is owed to all participants referenced within, as well as to those who assisted with the preparation and execution of my field work. Finally, special thanks are due to my wife, my brother and my parents-in-law for their unswerving belief in my endurance and ability. iv Abstract A recent crisis of civil war had affected Sri Lanka for a near twenty-six year period, beginning with the fulminant ‘Black July’ of 1983, whilst arriving at an acrimonious and controversial cessation in May 2009. The burgeoning vehemence attracted the attention of various actors, both international and domestic, with an interest in deescalating the discord between compatriot ethnic groups. Among such impetuses were the various inter-religious peace initiatives, organizations which attempted to restore unity by fostering the shared accordant values of otherwise disparate religious traditions. Of what academic work presently exists on the topic of inter- religious peace initiatives in contemporary Sri Lanka though, curiously very little accounts for the participation of those within the contextual Hindu community. This is a particularly problematic knowledge vacuum, given that Sri Lankan Hindus, by virtue of a significant overlap with Tamil ethnicity, were intimately affiliated with a major faction within the nation’s period of civil unrest. This thesis then succeeds in shedding light upon how Sri Lankan Hindus have so far responded to the offer of participation within the activities of inter-religious peace initiatives; however it does so through considering a series of hypothetical impediments – ranging from the pressure of nationalist militancy to ethical perspectives on the legitimacy of violence – which appeared to have had the potential to negate any prospective positive engagement. The validity of such hypotheses is then tested according to a multifaceted collection of ethnographic field data. Though the Civil War is now very much at an end, this thesis also argues for the continuity of an underlying conflict into the current post-war era, and as such offers an invaluable reference point to those involved in ongoing strategies of inter-religious peace-building in Sri Lanka. v Table of Contents Chapter 1 – Introduction and Literature Review…………………………..…………1 1.1. Overview of Study……………………………………………...………………1 1.2. Conflict in Contemporary Sri Lanka……………………………….………….7 1.3. An Analysis of Existing Literature…………………………………….……..12 1.3.1. Inter-Religious Peace Organizations in Sri Lanka………...…….12 1.3.2. Hindu Perspectives on Violence and Conflict Resolution………21 1.3.3. The Utility of Inter-Religious Peacebuilding………………..…….28 1.4. Conclusion………….………………………………………………………….31 Chapter 2 – Methodological Outline and Evaluation……………………..………..34 2.1. Initial Considerations…………………………………………………...…….34 2.1.1. Defining ‘Contemporary’: A Clarification of Chronological Scope……………………………………………………………………..…34 2.1.2. Considering Prospective Biases….……………………………….36 2.2. Study Design……….………………………………………………………….39 2.2.1. Elected Methods of Data Acquisition and Participant Sample Frame Parameters…………………...…………………………………….39 2.2.2. Interview Structure and Preparation……………..……………….45 2.2.3. Specific Ethical Considerations……………………….…………..49 2.2.4. System of Data Analysis……………………….…………………..51 2.3. Challenges and Critiques…………………………………………………….53 2.3.1. Limitations of Study Purview…………………………...………….53 2.3.2. Linguistic Disparities………….…………………………………….56 vi 2.3.2. Gender Bias……………………...……………………………….…62 2.3.3. Geo-Cultural Estrangement and Participant Recruitment Strategy…………………………………………………………………..…66 2.4. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………….78 Chapter 3 – The Dimensions of Conflict in Contemporary Sri Lanka…….…….80 3.1. The Mechanics of the Sri Lankan Civil War………………….…………….80 3.1.1. Taxonomies of Conflict……………………………………….……80 3.1.2. The Presence of Religion within Sri Lanka’s Competing Ethnonationalisms………………………………………………………….85 3.2. Beyond Civil War: Sri Lankan Society’s Greater Ailment……………...…92 3.2.1. The Basis of a Two-Fold Conflict Dynamic……………...……....92 3.2.2. Further Aspects of Ethnic Conflict I: The Sinhala and Sri Lanka’s Muslim Ethnicities………………………….………………………………96 3.2.3. Further Aspects of Ethnic Conflict II: Tamils and Moors……...103 3.2.4. Further Aspects of Ethnic Conflict III: Sinhala Buddhists and Christians – An Intra-Ethnic Dimension………………..………………105 3.3. Conclusion………………………………….………………………………..113 Chapter 4 – Contextually Reconciling Inter-Religious Pursuits towards Conflict Resolution…………………………………..……………………………………………115 4.1. A Theoretical Discussion of Inter-Religious Peacebuilding as a Medium for Contextual Conflict Resolution………………………………………………115 vii 4.2. Hypothesized Issues Surrounding Sri Lankan Hindu Engagement with Inter-Religious Peacebuilding…………………………..…………………………………………125 4.2.1. Sri Lankan Hindus and LTTE Proximity…………...……………130 4.2.2. The Contextual Implications of Hindu Ethical Responses towards Violence and Peace………………………………………………………133 4.2.3. The Prospective Influence of Non-Hindu Religions upon Sri Lankan Inter-Religious Peace Organizations…..……………………..146 4.3. Conclusion……………………………………….…………………………..152 Chapter 5 – Sri Lankan Inter-Religious Peace Organizations: An Overview and Hypothetical Arbitration…………………………….…………………………………157 5.1. A Synopsis of Inter-Religious Peace Organizations Active in Sri Lankan from the Onset of Civil War to the Present Day………………………….……157 5.1.1. The Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement…………………...…..157 5.1.2. The Inter-Religious Council of Sri Lanka……………….………166 5.1.3. The Inter-Religious Peace Foundation…………..……………..173 5.1.4. The Congress of Religion…………………………..……….……180 5.1.5. Sri Lankan Inter-Religious Peace Organizations: A Comparative and Theoretical Reflection……………………………………………….183 5.2. Adapting Existing Hypothetical Discourse to Accommodate Supplementary Considerations…………………………………………………185 5.3. Conclusion…………………………………………………………….……..190 viii Chapter 6 – Awareness and Experiences of Inter-Religious Peacebuilding among Sri Lankan Hindus, and their Perspectives of its Efficacy and the Organizations which have Facilitated It………………………………….…………194 6.1. Sri Lankan Hindu Awareness and Evaluation of Inter-Religious Peace Organizations in terms of Efficacy and Religious or Political Affiliation.…………………………………………………………………………..195 6.1.1. Participant Rejections of Specific Inter-Religious Peace Organizations………………………….…………………………….……198 6.1.2. The Potential Efficacy of Inter-Religious Peace Organizations……………………………………………………………..203 6.1.3. The Observed Efficacy of Inter-Religious Peace Organizations…………………………………………………………..…209 6.2. Sri Lankan Hindu Experiences of Inter-Religious Peace Organizations……………………………………………………………………..218 6.2.1. Reflecting on Future Involvement…………………….…………227 6.3. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………230 Chapter 7 – Tamil Separatism and its Influence upon the Prospects of Sri Lankan Hindu Engagement with Inter-Religious Peace Initiatives……….……234 7.1. Introduction………………………………………………………………..…234 7.1.1. The Impact of the LTTE presence………………………...…….235 7.1.2. The Continuity of Tamil Separatism and its Lingering Effect…………………………………………………………………….…246 7.1.3. Hindu Values and the Tamil Separatist Campaign……………258 7.2. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………287 ix Chapter 8 – Perceived Contentions between Sri Lankan Religious Communities and their Impact upon Hindu Involvement within Inter-Religious Peace Initiatives…………………………………………………………………………291 8.1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………..291 8.1.1. Identified Contentions between Sri Lankan Religious Communities………………………………………………………………291 8.1.2. Unethical Christian Evangelism and Sri Lankan Hindus……...294 8.1.3. Buddhist Fundamentalism and Sri Lankan Hindus……………306 8.1.4. Islam and Inter-Religious Relations………………………..……310 8.2. The Impact of Inter-Religious Contentions upon the Prospects of Hindu Involvement in Inter-Religious Peace
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