Fourth world colonialism, indigenous minorities and Tamil Separatism in Sri Lanka

• Published in: Bulletin of concerned Asian scholars Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 15 - 22
• Main Author: Pfaffenberger, Bryan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis 01.03.1984
• ISSN: 0007-4810
• DOI: 10.1080/14672715.1984.10409778

Despite the withdrawal of colonial power from Third World countries, forms of oppression that might well be termed "colonial" still persist in many of them-the oppression wrought by nationalist Third World governments whose regimes fail to respect the rights of indigenous minorities. In their zeal to reassert their civilizational identity, their sense of their historical mission, and their desire to be "important in the world," Third World peoples have often created governments that celebrate their own traditions at the expense of minority groups. For ethnic and regional minorities in many Third World countries, the arrogance and injustice of these governments matches-and often exceeds-those of the departed European colonial regime.