1. Conflict in
Conflict in
Multi-Ethnic
Countries 1

2. CONFLICT IN
NORTHERN
IRELAND
2

3. In this chapter, you will learn about
• Introduction to Northern Ireland
• The causes of conflict in Northern Ireland
• The consequences of conflict in Northern
Ireland
• The challenges in resolving ethnic conflict3

4. In 1993
• 1 million Protestants, mostly of
Scottish and English origin
• 600 000 Catholics, mostly
descendents of local Irish
inhabitants of the island
4

5. HISTORY OF N.I.
• United Kingdom and Republic of
Ireland
• UK : BRITAIN England, Scotland, Wales
and N.I.
• Let’s tour Britain & London
5

6. the country
in conflict
6

7. HISTORY OF N.I.
• Before 12th century
• In the 12th century
• 1690
• 1800
7

8. 12TH CENTURY
• Before 12th century
– N.I. & Republic of Ireland =
IRELAND
• In the 12th century
– Ireland conquered and
colonised by England
8

9. 17th CENTURY
• 17TH century : England ruled Ireland
– English landlords in Ireland
– brought in Protestant Scottish and English
settlers
– To increase Protestant population there
– Newcomers – settled in northern part of
Ireland
– Pushed out many local Irish Catholic farmers
– Those Irish Catholics who stayed behind
given least fertile lands
– Northern part of Ireland thus became mainly
Protestant
9

10. 17th CENTURY
• The Scots like to
wear kilts
• What they wear
beneath that is censored
anybody’s guess!
10

11. 1690 (17th CENTURY)
• King James II of England, a Catholic
• Forced to flee to north of Ireland. Why?
• Because he failed to force Catholicism on the
Protestants in England
• There, he tried to defeat the locals
• New King of England, William of Orange
PROTESTANT arrived in north of Ireland and
defeated King James
• Battle of Boyne
• King William remains a hero to Protestants to
this day 11

12. BATTLE OF BOYNE
12

13. King William of
Orange,( Protestant
king) defeated
King James (Catholic
king) in the Battle of
Boyne
13

14. 19th CENTURY
• For years, Catholic Irish fought against
Protestant Scottish and English settlers
without success
• 1800 : Ireland became part of UK
• Hostilities between Catholics and Protestants
did not end
• Late 1800s : some local Irish demanded
• HOME RULE (like our concept of self-
government)
• Fighting often broke out
14

15. 20th CENTURY
• 1921 : Ireland divided into two separate
parts
• Based on majority religion of each part
• Northern part PROTESTANT became known
as NORTHERN IRELAND – remained part of
UK
• Southern part CATHOLIC became known as
IRISH FREE STATE
• Both had own Parliaments
• But continued to recognise English monarchy
and laws regarding foreign affairs
• 1949 : Irish Free State cut ties with Britain
• Became the REPUBLIC OF IRELAND 15

16. UNITED KINGDOM
Republic Of
Ireland
Britain Northern Ireland
16
England Scotland Wales

17. THE N.I. GOVERNMENT
before 1972
• Before 1972
Own Parliament
at Stormont
Castle near
Belfast
17

18. THE N.I. GOVERNMENT
Since 1972
• Since 1972
– Ruled directly by the British Parliament
in London
– British PM chooses a Secretary of State
MINISTER for N.I.
– N.I. Government in charge of finance,
commerce, health and education
– Britain in charge of foreign affairs and
defense
– Majority of ministers in N.I. Are
Protestants
18

19. CAUSES OF
CONFLICT
19

20. Causes of the Conflict between the
Protestants and the Catholics
• Divided Loyalties
• Unequal Allocation of Housing
• Unequal Employment Opportunities
• Lack of Voting Rights
• Lack of Opportunities For Social
Interaction
20

21. 1. DIVIDED LOYALTIES
• In N.I. most Protestants regard
themselves as British
• Want the country continued as part of
UK
• Many afraid of union with the Republic
of Ireland, a Catholic country
• A Catholic government would not be
tolerant of Protestant beliefs
21

22. 1. DIVIDED LOYALTIES
On the other hand
• Catholics in N.I. See themselves as Irish
• Want to be united with Ireland
• Resent past history of English conquest
• Many Catholics massacred or treated
harshly
• Remembered long struggle for Home
Rule
22

23. 1. DIVIDED LOYALTIES
• Protestants – celebrate annually of
battle of Boyne as a mark of
protestant dominance
• Usually march through Catholic
residential areas
• This sense of loyalty to different
countries make them intolerant of
each other
23

24. Protestants celebrating Orange Parade Day
at Catholic neighborhood yearly on 12 July in
remembrance of King William’s victory over King James.
Sometimes riots occur during the celebration.
24

25. 25

26. A Protestant youth passes a burning bus during a
riot in North Belfast, Northern Ireland
26

27. 2. UNEQUAL ALLOCATION OF
HOUSING
• Grievance : Provision of public housing
by city councils to Protestants. HOUSING
PARTLY PAID BY GOVT
• Councils comprise largely Protestants
• Catholics often delayed in getting public
housing.
• 1968 : 71% of local houses in
Dungannon given to Protestants but
53% of the people there were Catholics
27

28. 2. UNEQUAL ALLOCATION OF
HOUSING
• Catholics frustrated – shortage of
houses means they have to wait many
years before getting own house
• Thus find provision of housing unfair
28

29. Catholics had to wait longer for public
housing in Dungannon
29

30. 3.UNEQUAL EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES
• Competition for jobs
• Catholics – feel that they do not
have an equal chance of getting
the jobs they want, even if they’re
as qualified as the Protestants
30

31. 3. UNEQUAL EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES
• 1971 : Population survey
• Catholics males 2 ½ times more likely to
be jobless than Protestants males
• No of Catholic engineers and civil
servants – not proportionate to their
numbers in N.I.
• Fewer Catholics in senior positions in
public and private sectors 31

32. UNEMPL0YMENT RATE BY RELIGION AND
SEX IN 2002 – 2003, NORTHERN IRELAND
10
9
8
7
6
5 MALE
4 FEMALE
3
2
1
0
PROTESTANT CATHOLIC 32

33. 4. LACK OF VOTING RIGHTS
• Before 1969 : Voting rights a problem
• Each household – 2 votes
• Companies
• entitled to more votes
• depended on size
• Many companies owned by richer
Protestants – thus had more votes
• Voting districts often drawn to include
a larger proportion of Protestants
• Catholics were of course unhappy about
this and protested against this
33

34. 4. LACK OF VOTING RIGHTS
• Since 1968 : Everyone entitled to one
vote
• Must be a British subject and
above 18 years old
• Had to be born in N.I.
• Or lived in UK for 7 years
• Voting districts redrawn to ensure
fairness 34

35. 4. LACK OF VOTING RIGHTS
• Voting rights no longer a problem
today
• But conflicts persist because other
issues such as housing and
employment not addressed
35

36. Since 1969, any British citizen above 18
is entitled to one man one vote
36

37. 5. LACK OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIAL
INTERACTION DUE TO……
EDUCATION SYSTEM
• Fully-funded public schools cater to
Protestants only
• Private schools cater to Catholics only
• Mixed schools are not as popular
• Result : Protestant and Catholic children
rarely get to meet and know each other
• Generations grow up to distrust each
other
• Lack of social interaction makes them
hostile to each other
37

38. 5. LACK OF OPPORTUNITIS
FOR SOCIAL INTERACTION
PROTESTANT CHILDREN CATHOLIC CHILDREN
PUBLIC SCHOOLS PRIVATE SCHOOLS
• Taught British • Taught Irish history
history • Play Irish sports –
• Play British sports – hurling
rugby, hockey, • Taught Irish
cricket language & culture
• Very loyal to Britain • Regard Britain as a
(Loyalists) foreign country
38

39. 5. LACK OF OPPORTUNITIES
FOR SOCIAL INTERACTION
• Today, integrated schools cater for
Protestants and Catholics
• Not very popular – only taken up by 5%
of the school-going population
• Private schools that cater for Catholics
PARTLY FUNDED BY GOVERNMENT
39

40. Protestant and Catholic kids learn that they have
nothing to fear from each other and much to gain
by attending the same school together under the
Friendship Project
40

41. 5. LACK OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIAL
INTERACTION DUE TO……
SEPARATE RESIDENTIAL AREAS
• Catholics and Protestants have been living in
separate residential areas
• Belfast – 1991 – 63% of the population lived
in areas that were either Catholics or
Protestants
• In 2001 – figure rose to 66%
• Less social interaction between the two
groups 41

42. The Shankill Road area is mainly working-class
and exclusively Protestant. It is divided from the
Catholic Falls Road area by a peace line
peace line
42

43. A Protestant Neighbourhood
43

44. A Catholic Neighbourhood
44

45. With lack of tolerance
and
a lot of prejudice,
The Catholics
and
The Protestants
continue
their conflict
with violence
45

46. s-
le l
ub fu
ro ce
Th e T ea rch
p ma s
f rom ights eak
il r utbr ce
civ o o
t
… f v io len
o
OBJECTIVES
OF CRM
46

47. Peaceful Protest Marches vs Violence
Civil Rights movements started in 1960s :
• demanded equal rights
• protested against unfair treatment of
the Catholics
• made peaceful demands for basic rights
such as housing, jobs, education and
voting
• Civil Rights Movement in 1968 was a
beginning of the period called the ‘Troubles’
47

48. • How did the Protestants react to
these marches?
• Protestants reacted with hostility
and violence
• Saw the movement as an attempt
to weaken the government
48

49. THE TROUBLES - From peaceful protest
Marches to Violence
• Feb 1967 – The Northern Ireland Civil Rights
Association was formed (NICRA)
• Formed by well educated middle-class Catholics
who wanted to end discrimination against them
• NICRA adopts non-violent methods to protest
against discrimination against Catholic
• The Civil Rights Movement (CRM) organised by
NICRA marked the period known as ‘The Troubles’
49

50. THE TROUBLES - From peaceful protest
Marches to Violence
• During these peaceful marches, fighting
broke out between the Catholics,
Protestants and the police
• Aug 1969 – British government sent in
British Army to keep order in NI
• Catholics welcomed them as their
protectors at first
50

51. Youth arrested in the Lenadoon area of Belfast
after rioting which immediately marked the
introduction of internment
51

52. THE TROUBLES - From peaceful protest
Marches to Violence
• Aug 1971 – the NI government introduced
the ‘internment laws’. This means the
British Army has the power to
- arrest
- interrogate
- detain without trial anyone suspected of
being involved in acts to weaken the
government
• As army began searching Catholic's homes
and arresting suspects, the Catholics soon
lost faith in the British Army
52

53. British Army snatch squad in William Street on a
Sunday afternoon in Summer 1971. Those caught
are brought back to be held behind army lines.
53

54. The peaceful civil right
movements turned ugly…
….in 1972
…BLOODY SUNDAY
…lead to violence
…IRA came into the picture
….MORE VIOLENCE
54

55. 55
S unda
B lo o d y

56. In 1972, Bloody Sunday
• A peaceful civil rights march was shot at
by the British soldiers
• 13 civilians were shot dead and many
more were wounded
• This incident is called the ‘Bloody
Sunday’ incident
• It marked the beginning of violent
conflict between the Catholics and the
Protestants
56

57. The heavily armed British Army
against unarmed peaceful protesters
57

58. A British Army sniper hiding at a vantage point.
Eye witnesses claimed some snipers fired at the
protesters in the crowd below
58

59. Father Daly, later Bishop of Derry, gave the last rites to many
of the dead and severely injured on Bloody Sunday. He also
helped some men who tried to carry the mortally wounded
17-year-old John Duddy to safety. “I think he died while we
were carrying him,” Father Daly said.
DEAD 59

60. Seventeen-year-old Michael Kelly lies on the ground
after being shot. After this picture was taken 20-
year-old Michael McDaid, partially visible in the top
left, was also shot and killed.
DEAD
DEAD 60

61. The coffins of those 13 killed on 'Bloody Sunday'
were laid out in St Mary's Chapel in the Creggan
before the funerals. 7 killed were unarmed
teenagers. Youngest dead was 17 while the
oldest was a 59-year old man
61

62. What happened after Bloody Sunday?
• More violence between Protestants and
Catholics
• Catholic homes were petrol-bombed
• Catholic families forced to flee, homes
looted/robbed by mobs
• Catholic shops and pubs were burnt and
bombed
• Local police who witnessed the violence
did not offer help
• British Army raided Catholic homes,
using force and damaging property 62

63. FROM WHOM COULD THE
DESPERATE CATHOLICS
GET HELP?
CATHOLICS
TURNED TO IRA
FOR HELP
63

64. WHO IS IRA?
-THE IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY-
• an illegal terrorist organisation in UK,
members mainly Northern Irish Catholics
• emerged since 1969
• aim is to use violence to drive out the British Army
and the representatives of the British government
• wants to convert NI into an Irish state
64

65. WHAT DID IRA DO?
• The IRA attacked British soldiers and police
• Bombed businesses and shops owned by
Protestants, killed innocent Protestants too
• More than 3,500 people were killed from
1969-1993
• IRA was responsible for two-thirds of the death
65

66. NO ONE KNOWS WHO THE IRA MEMBERS ARE.
THEY GO ROUND WITH SKI MASK OVER THEIR
FACES. USE OF VIOLENCE IS COMMON
66

67. CEASEFIRE???
• On 28 July 2005 the
IRA announced an end
to its armed
campaign, stating that
it would work to
achieve its aims using
"purely political and
democratic
programmes through
exclusively peaceful
means” 67

68. 68

69. WILL THE VIOLENCE IN NI END?
69

70. CONFLICT IN
NORTHERN IRELAND
-IMPACTS & CONSEQUENCES-
70

71. OVERVIEW
The violence in Northern Ireland
has left deep wounds within
the country.
Many innocent people have died.
Affected NI negatively
ECONOMICALLY
SOCIALLY POLITICALLY
71

72. SEGREGRATION
SOCIAL
72

73. 1) SOCIAL SEGREGRATION
• Protestants and Catholics have been
segregated/separated because of the tension
and violence
• They school, live and work separately
• Possible for young people to grow up not
having met someone from the other
community
• Result in lack of understanding between
Protestants and Catholics 73

74. I would mix but I don’t get a
chance…If you mix…you don’t
only expect trouble from the
other side – Catholics – but you
also expect some from your
own people that live in the
same street as you.
Because they may hit you for
playing with a Catholic. Maybe
you’d get hit by other
Catholics. It’s the same for the
other person if he mixes with
them. I’d like to mix, but I find
it easier if you don’t mix and
A Protestant
teenage boy keep to yourself. 74

75. Protestant children playing at Protestant
neighbourhood.
No social interaction with Catholic children.
75

76. Catholic children play behind the peace walls with
Catholic children.
No social interaction with Protestant children
76

77. The Belfast ‘peace walls’ is one of the many walls
built to segregate Protestants and Catholics
neighbourhoods. British troops erected the first
one in 1969. Residents added more.
peace wall segregates the 77
two communities

78. 2) DECLINING ECONOMY
• The conflict discouraged domestic and
foreign investments in NI.
• Foreign investors have to close down when
violence increased operating costs –
repairing etc.
• The constant threat of bombings and high-
cost drove away manufacturers
• The violence also kept away tourists from
visiting NI 78

79. Foreign-owned factories burn down when
protesters throw petrol bombs
79

80. A factory owner lost a truck to
violence in the streets
80

81. 3) POLITICAL REFORM
• The NI government passed
anti-discrimination measures
• The NI government agreed to
abolish the unfair voting
system
• They also reviewed the
schemes for allocating
government-owned houses
81

82. IS THERE HOPE FOR
A PEACEFUL NORTHERN IRELAND?
A MURAL PRODUCED BY PROTESTANT AND CATHOLIC
82
YOUTHS ACROSS N1

83. TIME FOR PEACE
1970s-1990s
- British government
made attempts to
bring peace
- Protestants,
Catholics, IRA and
representatives
from British
government met to
resolve conflict 83

84. Good Friday Agreement
1998
The Good Friday
Peace Agreement
was signed by
British and Irish
governments.
84

85. The journey for PEACE was not a
smooth one – THE OMAGH BOMBING
• Twenty-nine people
were killed and
hundreds injured by
the explosion in
Omagh, County
Tyrone, on 15 August
1998.
• The bomb was
planted by the Real
IRA
85

86. The Order Parade always provide hostilities
between Protestants and Catholics. It
usually leads to violent clashes
86

87. 87

88. CAUSES FOR CONFLICT
SRI LANKA NORTHERN IRELAND
Racial Differences Religious & Political
Sinhalese vs Tamils Differences
Protestants vs Catholics
Conflict over Conflict over
Citizenship rights Divided Loyalties
‘Sinhala Only’ Policy The Education System
University Admission Employment
Resettlement of Housing Allocation
Population Voting Rights
88

89. CONSEQUENCES & IMPACTS
SRI LANKA N IRELAND
• Social Consequence • Social Consequence
- Tamils driven out of - Social Segregation
their homeland
- Peaceful Protests to
• Economic Consequences Violence
- Declining economy • Economic Consequences
- fall in foreign - Declining economy
investments - fall in foreign
- fall in tourist visits investments
- unemployment - fall in tourist visits
- unemployment
• Political Consequences
• Political Consequences - Political Reform
- Armed Conflict
- Foreign intervention
- Foreign Intervention 89

90. CONCLUSION
SRI LANKA AND N IRELAND
• Important for people of different races and
religions to live in harmony
• Conflict destroys lives, homes and property
• Everyone suffers
• Need to be sensitive to one another’s needs
• Failure to understand and respect other’s
rights will harm the country in many ways
90

91. CONCLUSION
• Weakens development of the country
• Provides excuse for stronger
neighbours to interfere
• Conflicts in Sri Lanka and Northern Ireland
cannot be resolved overnight
• Consequences of fighting and destruction
still exist
• Will continue to exist until a solution is
arrived at
91

92. Lessons Learnt : Singapore
WE ARE A MULTI-RACIAL SOCIETY
• should be sensitive to one another’s
needs
• understanding and respect
• peace and unity are the best defense
against foreign interference /
intervention
92

93. “If we are to teach real peace
in this world, and if we are to carry
on a real war against war,
we shall have to begin
with the children.”
- Mahatma Ghandi -
Teaching slides prepared by Mdm Azizah
93
Pictures sourced from internet