Abstract:
This paper traces the history and evolution of the armed forces in Sri Lanka from the
arrival of the British 1976 to the present day. Special attention is paid to issues of
ethnicity, class and religion and how these affected recruitment policies, force structure
and operational deployment. The question of political influence and loyalties is also
considered. The British colonial era is divided in two major periods, i.e. the pre-Volunteer
era, 1796-1874, and the Volunteer era, 1881-1949, which essentially analyses the
period encompassing the Ceylon Defense Force (CDF).
Post-independence developments are considered in terms of the rise of Sinhalese
Buddhist nationalism and the consequent decline of the British influenced and
westernized elements in the ranks of the military. Three major events are analyzed: first,
the ascendancy to power of a Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist government in 1956 and its
impact on the military establishment; second, the 1962 abortive coup and its
repercussions; and third, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) uprising in 1971.
The emergence of Tamil separatism and out break of full-scale ethnic confrontation in
1983 onwards has had the most significant consequences for the structure and
composition of the armed forces. This ethnic conflict culminated into three phases of
internecine combat, known as the Eelam War. In the midst of these crises, another
abortive JVP uprising took place for a second time, from 1987-1989. All these events
were instrumental in changing the Sri Lanka armed forces to a more Sinhalese Buddhist
institution of more populist stratification and social composition. These overall factors,
especially the ethnic conflict are examined and their implications for society and politics
in contemporary Sri Lanka considered.
