In my view a common thread running throughout the history of the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict in the post-independence period is the Buddhist fear of the Tamil demand for sharing as one nation，two states, and with equal individual opportunity. There is fear on both sides now and there was probably some fear even at the time of independence. In the Tamil perspective，the majority Buddhists and the Sinhalese could have been magnanimous, accommodative，and reassuring. There can be a peaceful solution to the conflict only if this angle is understood.
目次
1. Introduction; 2. Difference between the Buddhist perspective and the Tamil perspective; 3. Tamil political demands and pragmatism; 4. Ethnic majoritarianism and corrupt rule; 5. The Demand for a federal constitution; 6. The Demand for a separate country; 7. The Peace Process; 8. Conclusion;
