These ambiguities coupled with the accepted norm that the right to self-determination applies only to colonial situations as stated and repeated in several United Nation Charters, makes the case for the Sri Lankan Tamils weak. In practical terms this planet would not be able to entertain the prospect of granting a sovereign piece of territory to every ethnic group who decided to exercise their right to self-determination. The international media never fails to mention that the current conflict is because of a Tamil claim of discrimination by the majority Sinhalese. Despite the Tamil language being given due recognition in 1978, the past language policies continue to be cited as an act of discrimination that justify the current conflict. If discrimination in regard to education, employment, or any other field of activity is cited as sufficient grounds for a separate state, or an autonomous region, by peaceful means or otherwise, every nation-state on this planet will be experiencing conflict, because discrimination exists everywhere.
Discrimination is too simplistic an explanation for the current conflict.
The composition of the nation-states as currently formed can be classified into three broad groups. The majority of the nation-states, however, are a mix of the two. They have pockets of ethnic concentration in defined regions, with the rest of the ethnic group diffused throughout the territory. The current instability in the world is due to the resurgence of ethnic groups who live in these defined regions exercising rights that involve territory. In order to balance the influences between the desire to fulfill aspirations and the integrity and sovereignty of territorial units, two basic approaches are practiced.