Communist Sri Lanka

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1971_JVP_insurrection

If the JVP planned the insurrection better, and if the distress call sent by the Sri Lankan government to friendly nations for help was never received by those friendly countries because the JVP cut off telegram lines, could Sri Lanka become a communist country? Seeing as how the insurrection united foes such as India and Pakistan, along with the US, USSR and China against the JVP there is a chance that the Sri Lankan government could have developed into a North Korea like state. What do you think? Did it have a chance of succeeding? What would be the repercussions? Note that this was happening during the Vietnam War, and I doubt that the US will be willing to send troops to Sri Lanka.
 
I'm far from an expert on Sri Lankan politics, but it seems to me sectarianism plays a pretty big role, no? The whole Buddhists vs. Hindus thing they've got going on.

As such, it might be difficult to create a North-Korea style state, with widespread cultural acceptance of the ruling ideology. As well, the Communists took over in North Korea because the Soviets invaded the northern half of the peninsula, and put them in power. They weren't just a rag-tag band of plucky misfits shooting their way into the halls of government.
 

samcster94

Banned
I'm far from an expert on Sri Lankan politics, but it seems to me sectarianism plays a pretty big role, no? The whole Buddhists vs. Hindus thing they've got going on.

As such, it might be difficult to create a North-Korea style state, with widespread cultural acceptance of the ruling ideology. As well, the Communists took over in North Korea because the Soviets invaded the northern half of the peninsula, and put them in power. They weren't just a rag-tag band of plucky misfits shooting their way into the halls of government.
North Korea is also homogeneous. Sri Lanka has Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists all living on the same island who hate each other as well as different languages(Tamil v Sinhala is obvious).
 
I'm far from an expert on Sri Lankan politics, but it seems to me sectarianism plays a pretty big role, no? The whole Buddhists vs. Hindus thing they've got going on.

As such, it might be difficult to create a North-Korea style state, with widespread cultural acceptance of the ruling ideology. As well, the Communists took over in North Korea because the Soviets invaded the northern half of the peninsula, and put them in power. They weren't just a rag-tag band of plucky misfits shooting their way into the halls of government.

North Korea is also homogeneous. Sri Lanka has Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists all living on the same island who hate each other as well as different languages(Tamil v Sinhala is obvious).

The Sri Lankan government at the time was passing laws which angered the Tamils, and the demand for separation didn't occur until 1973. If the communists end these laws, perhaps Tamil separatism doesn't become as popular of an ideology as it was IOTL.
 
The Sri Lankan government at the time was passing laws which angered the Tamils, and the demand for separation didn't occur until 1973. If the communists end these laws, perhaps Tamil separatism doesn't become as popular of an ideology as it was IOTL.

But that's the thing. If the Communists reach out to the Tamils and the Muslims, bring them into the mainstream of society and the party, then you've got a religious and cultural pluralism that doesn't really exist in North Korea. So it's gonna be difficult to create a North Korea-style state. (There WERE religions in North Korea of course, but I don't think they were ever really a major political force, at least, not in the sense of struggling to assert their dominance in society).

I think Tito's Yugoslavia might be a better model for a Sri Lanka successfully integrating diverse religious and cultural groups into its body politic.
 

samcster94

Banned
But that's the thing. If the Communists reach out to the Tamils and the Muslims, bring them into the mainstream of society and the party, then you've got a religious and cultural pluralism that doesn't really exist in North Korea. So it's gonna be difficult to create a North Korea-style state. (There WERE religions in North Korea of course, but I don't think they were ever really a major political force, at least, not in the sense of struggling to assert their dominance in society).

I think Tito's Yugoslavia might be a better model for a Sri Lanka successfully integrating diverse religious and cultural groups into its body politic.
True. Yugoslavia style Communism MAY have a way. North Korea requires racial supremacy, which doesn't work in a non homogeneous society well.
 
True. Yugoslavia style Communism MAY have a way. North Korea requires racial supremacy, which doesn't work in a non homogeneous society well.

Maybe the new communist Sri Lankan government creates an idea where Ceylonese Tamils are considered superior to Indian Tamils, as the former was on an island and thus had less contact with other cultures, making Ceylonese Tamils the "truer Tamils" or some nonsense like that.
 
JVP was a leftist political group started in the late sixties in SriLanka under Rohana Wijewira, who had studied medicine at Lumumba University in Moscow. JVP (Janata Vimukti Peramuna/People's Liberation Front) had led two revolts against the SriLankan Government in 1971 and 1987-1989. The JVP which started as a revolutionary Communist group in the late sixties attracted the youth during the initial period. They had supported the leftist SLFP under Sirimao Bandaranayake in the elections, but after she became the Prime Minister turned against her and launched a rebellion in April, 1971. In a bid to capture power violently they attacked police stations across the country. At the time of the launch of the revolt, Wijeweera was in prison and the cadres hoped to break open the prison and save him. At that time the security system of SriLanka was weak and the military too was not strong enough to put down the rebellion. The Government requested the help of neighboring countries and India, Pakistan, Soviet Union etc. sent weapons and troops. It took three weeks to suppress the revolt and about four to five thousand people were killed. Wijewira was awarded a prison term of 20 years which was cut short later.
The Tamil insurrection started in 1983. The JVP diluted their communist viewpoint and became a Sinhala nationalist party. The Indo-SriLankan accord and the coming of Indian troops as peace keepers helped the rise of anti-Indian sentiment in SriLanka and this provided an opportunity for JVP to stir up Sinhala Buddhist nationalism. The JVP launched the second rebellion against the Government, this time led by UNP under J.R.Jayawardene. The fight was in the form of assassinations of political party leaders, military and police officials and even ordinary citizens against JVP. The military also responded in a similar way, capturing and killing the JVP cadres and even sympathisers. The confrontation lasted from 1987 to 1989. Around 50-60 thousand people lost lives. Wijewira and the entire top leadership of the JVP were captured and killed in 1989. The JVP was later reorganized as a normal political party under other leaders.
 
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