III CONFLICT AND HARMONY IN MULTI-ETHNIC SOCIETIES

THEME III : CONFLICT AND HARMONY IN MULTI-ETHNIC SOCIETIES

Why is harmony in a multi-ethnic society important to the development and viability of a nation?  

Causes of Conflict in Sri Lanka

 The ‘Sinhala Only’

When the British ruled Ceylon, they allowed the minority but English-educated Tamils to dominate the civil service and occupy some of the most powerful posts in government. The Sinhalese, being less able to use English, were at a disadvantage. However, once Sri Lanka achieved independence, the new government (Sinhalese-dominated) passed the ‘Official Language Act’ (1956) by which Sinhala was made the country’s official language and the only language to be used as the language of administration in the country. The Tamils in the government service were given three years to learn Sinhala or be dismissed. As a result, this caused the Tamils to be upset as they found it difficult to find jobs or be promoted due to their lack of ability in Sinhala. A peaceful demonstration against the Official Language Act led to riots and many people were killed. This caused tensions to rise between the two sides. Even when the Tamils succeeded in winning some concessions on the language issue in 1957, tension between the two sides continued to increase, leading to more fighting and deaths.

Citizenship rights

In 1948, when Sri Lanka became independent, it passed the Ceylon Citizenship Act (1948) which granted citizenship to only those who were either born in the country or whose forefathers were born there. As a result, many Indian Tamils found themselves stateless. Though they had lived in the country for many years, the Indian Tamils now did not have the basic rights such as education, jobs, housing and voting which only citizens could enjoy. This was especially difficult for them to accept especially as they continued to work on the tea plantations and contributed significantly to the Sri Lankan economy. Despite India’s efforts to make an agreement with the Sri Lankan government to resolve the citizenship issue, nothing came out of it. Thus, the seeds of conflict were sown because of the citizenship laws which discriminated against the Indian Tamils.

The issue of citizenship rights concern identity and basic rights of voting in a country.  Without this basic affirmation of their belonging to the country, the other factors like university admission or the language policy will never be addressed. 

Unfair university admission criteria

Prior to 1970, university admission was based on merit and the exams were in English. This allowed the Tamils, who were English-educated, to do well in the exams and secure an equal number of places, to the Sinhalese, in the more respected medical and engineering courses. This upset the Sinhalese as the proportion of Tamils admitted to university was much higher than their proportion in the total and population. This led to a change in admission criteria after 1970: Tamil students had to score higher marks than the Sinhalese to enter the same courses. A fixed number of places in the university was also reserved for the Sinhalese. As a result, this angered the Tamils as they felt that they were being unfairly discriminated against and the policy ruined their chances of getting good, well-paying jobs. Thus it led to tension growing between the Tamils and Sinhalese.

Resettlement of peasant Sinhalese in Tamil-dominated areas

This policy was introduced in the 1950s. Sinhalese peasants were transferred from the densely-populated southwestern and central areas to Tamil areas. The government had implemented this policy to provide land for the landless Sinhalese peasants to live on and to cultivate padi. However, the Tamils were not happy as along with the poor Sinhalese peasants, came the Buddhist monks and soldiers. These newcomers occupied the lands belonging to Tamils. As a result of this tension grew between the two sides and eventually led to fighting.

Consequence of the conflict in Sri Lanka

 Economic consequences

The riots of 1983 caused massive unemployment for both Tamils and Sinhalese. People lost their jobs as factory workers, plantation workers, etc. Furthermore, foreign investors were frightened off by the violence and pulled out their investment from the country. Tourism, which was a major revenue earner for Sri Lanka, was similarly badly affected. The decrease in numbers of tourist arrivals had a serious effect on jobs related to tourism. Thus, due the outbreak (and continuance) of violence, the economy has been badly hit. The loss of jobs meant hardship for thousands of families and also pressure on the government to alleviate the suffering of the people. The loss of foreign investments meant that the country could not develop quickly and the fall in the number of tourists meant that the government had less revenues to spend on the development of amenities and facilities such as transport  and housing. All this would mean poverty and hardship for the people in general.

 Political consequence

The Tamils originally tried to get what they wanted through negotiations. But riots broke out (e.g. in 1983). As the Tamils found that their demands were not being met by the government, they began to turn to other alternative means of getting what they wanted. One was the use of violence. The LTTE began to attack the Sinhalese as well as the Tamil members of the ruling party. This armed conflict cost an increasing number of lives. Also, the conflict led to India intervening in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs. Originally it took the form of mediation by the Indians and later changed to more direct intervention (air-dropping of food and petroleum products) in Tamil-dominated areas. This was next followed, in July 1987, by Sri Lanka being pressured into signing a peace accord which allowed India to send peacekeepers into Sri Lanka to disarm the LTTE. However, the LTTE refused to surrender their weapons to the Indians. This then led to clashes between lndian   peacekeepers and LTTE. Finally, the Indian force was withdrawn from Sri Lanka. As a result the political consequence has not been just the loss of thousands of lives but also a lack of respect for Sri Lanka’s sovereignty when India intervened.

 Social consequence

This meant that the conflict caused large-scale displacement of Tamils beyond the country’s borders. Many Tamils fled the fighting and went to Tamil Nadu in South India. Furthermore, the declaration of High Security Zones (HSZ) by the Sri Lankan armed forces to keep the LTTE away, has also led to many Tamils fleeing these areas. Thus, the conflict has caused large numbers of Tamils to flee their homes and lands resulting in these refugees living in overcrowded refugee camps or with relatives or friends.

Armed Conflict

In 1976, when the demands of the Tamils were still not met , a new political party LTTE emerged asking for a separate independent state called Tamil  Elam as they believed that only separation from Sri Lanka would ensure the rights of the Tamils. When the Sinhalese government rejected the idea, the angry and dissatisfied Tamil youths resorted to violence and started attacking Tamil members of the police force, Tamil politicians and soon were attacking the Sinhalese.

Foreign intervention

The conflict attracted the attention of its neighbour, India.  At first, India tried to play the role of a mediator in response to the July 1983 riots.  It sent its foreign minister to Sri Lanka to mediate in a dialogue between the Sinhalese and the Tamils.  The dialogue failed as the parties involved could not come to an agreement. 

However on 3 June 1987, the Indian government sent 20 Indian ships to Jafffna to provide food and petroleum products to the Sri Lanka Tamils.  When the ships were turned back by the Sri Lankan navy, the Indian Air Force dropped food and medical supplies in Jaffna the following day.  In doing so, it violated the Sri Lankan airspace. 

In July 1987, under pressure from India, Sri Lanka agreed to sign a peace accord with India.  However, in Oct 1987, when the Tamil Tigers failed to fully surrender their weapons, the Indian troops took control of them by force.  From Oct 1987 to December 1988, most of the clashes in the north and east of Sri Lanka were between the Indian peacekeeping force and the Tamil Tigers.  The peacekeeping force was later withdrawn in march 1990.

Foreign intervention was a more serious consequence as it transferred the conflict to an international stage where India had to intervene.  The fact that another country had to address Sri Lanka’s domestic issues meant that Sri Lanka’s credibility took a blow.  This posed additional future problems for the Sri Lankan government as the people no longer trust their own government and solving the armed conflict became more difficult. 

Causes of conflict in Northern Ireland

Educational System
It is certain that it is the educational system in Northern Ireland that has caused the conflict in the country. This is primarily because the education system is divided according to British system, Irish system and lastly the mixed schools. Although the mixed school exists, they are not popular. So most students either go to the British or Irish school. In these schools, they are taught history, language, sports according to the country system they are crafted based on. Hence, students in these schools grow up with loyalty pledged to one nation and with hatred/ mistrust for the other. Since children are the foundation of the nation, it becomes difficult to change the hostilities that have been established before.

Divided Loyalties

To a certain extent divided loyalties was a cause for the conflict in Northern Ireland. This is because, the Catholics in Northern Ireland consider themselves as Irish and would wish to see a union of Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland. While the Protestants see themselves as British and would be happy to remain in the union with Britain. By having different loyalties to different nations or ‘states’ this led to the tension between the Catholics and the Protestants in northern Ireland. This becomes a problem because the Catholics who are Irish origin are the minority in the country and the Protestants who form the majority are of British origin which makes this a tug-of-war which has not produced any favorable results. The British government sending their military to secure the safety of the Protestants has only worsened the situation.

 Housing issues

Besides divided loyalties, one other reason is the housing issue between the Catholics and Protestants which has also led to the tension between the Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. The health care provision is handled by the city councils and is partly paid by the government. However, the councils are largely consisted of Protestants. This caused resentment amongst the Catholics especially when they were delayed in getting their houses. Often Catholic families who were often large in size had to wait many years for a house as compared to a Protestant family. Therefore, many Catholics see this as very unfair and thus this contributed to the tension and led to the conflict in Northern Ireland.

While there are many different reasons that caused the conflict in Northern Ireland, the main reason is the lack of government efficiency in dealing with the situation. The government itself practicing discriminatory practices does not assist the existing tension. The government of Northern Ireland needs to take the lead about the affairs of its own country and establish equality between the 2 groups or to its needs to, alternatively, find a common ground for matters to cool off in Northern Ireland. If the government finds itself in a position in which it is unable to handle the situation within Northern Ireland, then it should seek the assistance of international organizations or friendly nations (other than Britain, since Britain is also a nation involved in this conflict) so that a third party nation can solve this issue peacefully.

Efforts to resolve the conflicts by the Irish Republican Army

Hindrance

·         Reinforced prejudice - IRA’s aim was to use violence to drive the British Army and representatives of British Government out of Northern.Ireland. A hindrance to the Catholics cause because it reinforced the divided loyalties that already existed between the Protestants and Catholics as a result of years of bitter struggles since early times

 ·         Never-ending cycle of violence - IRA was responsible for 2000 out of the 3000 deaths that occurred during the period known as the Troubles including sometimes the killing of innocent Protestants. A hindrance because a never-ending cycle of violence began. Many Protestants who had never mixed with Catholics due to the separate education systems now adopt a prejudiced view that every Catholic is an IRA man

 ·         Turning point in conflict - British Army became very prejudiced against the Catholics to the extent that they shot at peaceful civil rights marchers during the Bloody Sunday incident. This unfortunate incident was a turning point in the conflict as from then on Catholics resorted to violence. The IRA was thus in part to blame for this because their actions had made the British Army obsessed that every young Catholic man was an IRA man as can be seen from the fact that most of those shot were young men.

 ·         Rejected peace – IRA announced ceasefire in 1994 but honoured it for only 17 months as IRA planted bomb in London. IRA splinter group rejected peace accord but responded with series of bomb attacks in Belfast.   

Help

·         Needed IRA’s help - When Civil Rights Movement failed to fight for equal rights through peaceful means and was met with hostility and violence from the Protestants and police force during the Bloody Sunday Incident, the Catholics felt they needed the help of the IRA 

·         No one else to protect Catholics – Catholics lost faith in British government following introduction of Internment Laws. When British Army sent in by government to control the situation, started raiding Catholics home and arresting suspects, Catholics feeling more desperate turned to IRA as they felt that the only ones who could help them were the IRA. Hence, IRA was more of a help than a hindrance because there was no one else protecting the Catholics.

·         Only ones to protect Catholics - IRA was also the one whom Catholics turned to when Catholic homes were sometimes petrol-bombed in the middle of the night, forcing the families to flee. Catholics’ businesses and pubs were also burnt and bombed. These incidents were often witnessed by the local police force which did not do anything to stop them and hence IRA was again seen as the only ones who could protect the Catholics     

Possible Conclusion on whether IRA is more of a hindrance or a help:

More a hindrance

·         Without IRA, Catholics peaceful march could have gained international sympathy and support. However, in some sense, peaceful march by itself would not be effective enough to pressure for change since British Government and army were not neutral

OR

More a help

·         Catholics saw IRA as saviour and protector since Protestants reacted violently to Catholics peaceful protest and since British Army was not neutral. However, the IRA violence made all future efforts to reconcile or seek peaceful solution almost impossible. Without IRA, maybe peaceful methods might attract international sympathy or mediation.

Impacts of the conflict in Northern Ireland

 Innocent people affected

Many of the Catholics and Protestants were not directly involved in the conflict. They just wanted to carry on with their life without much difficulties and problems. However, with the conflict, most of the people affected were innocent people. E.g. many people killed from 1969 to 1977 due to the violences were not directly involved in the violence.

People grew with prejudice ( Social Segregation)

The Protestants and Catholics received different education, each praising their own and condemning the deeds of the other. The violence in the country also mean that the two groups of people believed that their own people were right and the other party was responsible for the conflict in Northern Ireland. This led to growth of hatred and prejudice between the two group fo people.  With increased hostility, violence continued to rise.

Economic slowdown ( Declining Economy)
Prior to the conflict, many overseas companies invested in Northern Ireland.
Tourists came to the country as the country was attractive and peaceful.
Both foreign investment and tourism declined as people were afraid for their safety and did not want to come to Northern Ireland. This reduced the revenue for Northern Ireland, leading to economic slowdown.

Bonding Singapore

Threats faced by Singapore (possible cause of conflicts)

External threats

The peace in Singapore is undermined by external conflicts/ threats from external forces. Transnational terrorism refers to acts of violence which are global in terms of aims, organisation and impact. Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), a militant group wanting to set up an Islamic state in Asia, conducted terrorist acts in many countries. Attacks on Singapore were part of the JI’s plan after JI bombed several places such as Jakarta and Bali. Targets in Singapore included the US embassy and some government buildings such as the Ministry of Education.  In 2001, Singapore experienced the threat of transnational terrorism. 34 JI members were arrested under the Internal Security Act for their involvement in terrorist-related activities from 2001 to 2002. Another JI member was arrested in April 2005. If these terrorist acts targeted at Singapore had been successful, it would have killed and harmed many people in Singapore and greatly threatened its peace. Even when the acts are halted, these acts can still test the social bonds of the people of Singapore and divide the people. Other races who do not see things in perspective may blame the Muslims in Singapore for the terrorist acts conducted by Muslims in other parts of the world. They may start avoiding the Muslims in Singapore and cause unnecessary stress to them. They may also make the Muslims in Singapore feel unwelcome even though they have not done anything wrong. Racist remarks against them may also be made due to the terrorist acts in other countries, thus angering the Muslims. The Muslims may feel discriminated and wronged by the people/ other races around them, causing resentment. This would eventually lead to unhappiness and disunity among Singaporeans. Some Singaporeans may also be influenced by the radical ideas of the JI and be tempted to join in their  terrorist activities which could threaten the peace in Singapore. Thus, the peace in Singapore can be undermined by external conflicts/ threats from external forces.

Internal threats

• Differences in the perceptions of different racial groups

The peace in Singapore is undermined by the perceptions of different racial groups too. In July 1964, during the celebration of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, a clash between a Chinese policeman and a group of Malay participants of the procession turned into full-blown race riots. It started with UMNO leading an anti-PAP campaign which highlighted the poverty of the Malays in Singapore. They portrayed PAP’s resettlement and redevelopment projects as anti-Malay because UMNO claimed that the projects aimed to uproot the Malays from their homes in traditional Malay areas. This was to arouse feelings of dissatisfaction among the Malays in Singapore. The Malay newspaper also highlighted that the PAP government did not care about the Malays in Singapore. UMNO also held fiery speeches which portrayed PAP as anti-Malay and that stirred anger in Malays. All that were done made the Malays angry as they felt that the PAP was unfair to them and thus they were at a disadvantage. Although the policies also affected the other races, irresponsible media reporting and deliberately propagating of anti-PAP made the Malays doubt their status in Singapore.   Because of this lack of understanding among the different racial groups, it created suspicion and unhappiness among them, which led to the outbreaks of violence among them. As a result of the 1964 race riots, 36 people were dead and 560 others were injured. This showed that the perceptions of different racial groups can undermine the peace in Singapore.

• Differences in the perceptions of different religious groups

The peace in Singapore is also undermined by the perceptions of different religious groups. This was illustrated by the Maria Hertogh riots in 1950. Maria Hertogh, a Dutch, was placed under the care of a Malay lady when her parents were imprisoned by the Japanese in the 1940s. Maria was raised as a Muslim and married a Malay teacher. When her parents demanded that Maria be returned to them, a court trial followed and custody was given to the Hertoghs. The Muslims felt that the British legal system was unfair to them. This sparked off anger towards the European and Eurasian communities which resulted in the outbreak of the riots. The court’s decision to annul Maria’s marriage to a Malay teacher and pictures of Maria in a Christian convent were published. This created unhappiness in the Muslim community as they felt that the welfare of the Muslims was not looked into. The outbreak of violence left behind destruction and loss of lives.  5 were dead and 100 were hurt in the riot. The riot showed that if religious issues are not handled carefully, hostility and distrust can occur among people, thus affecting the relationships among different religious groups. Therefore, the peace in Singapore can be undermined by the perceptions of different religious groups.

Possible conclusion on what could be the most important source of conflict in Singapore:

Singapore is a multi-ethnic society. Threats from external forces are the most important source of conflict in Singapore. Perceptions of unfairness between the different racial and religious groups can be managed through our education and mediation among the different groups. The government has already put in place Inter-racial Confidence Circles and Harmony Circles. Through ensuring minority representation in the government, we also ensure that no groups of the people are overlooked. Through studying together and various forms of promoting understanding of the other races or religion, we minimised the possibility of conflict. However, threats from external forces are beyond our control. Events and developments in other countries can influence our people. Unfair treatment of the people or religious groups in other countries can have adverse impact on Singapore and lead to Singaporeans taking up their cause like in the case of the JI incident.

Ways for Singapore to manage its ethnic diversity

 Building a national identity

Forging a national identity through the policy of multi-racialism is one measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity. The policy of multi-racialism promotes equality among the races, with no special rights granted to any particular racial or religious group. Everyone has equal opportunities to succeed, regardless of their background. Favouring a certain group of people because of their race or religion is prohibited by the Constitution. Since everyone is seen as a valued member of the Singapore society, a sense of national identity as Singaporeans is created. Fostering national identity contributes to managing ethnic diversity as every citizen regardless of their race or religion will see himself/herself as a Singaporean, not as people of different races or religions, thus fostering unity amongst the Singaporeans. Thus, forging a national identity through the policy of multi-racialism is one measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity.

Forging a national identity through common practices is one measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity. Common practices are actions that Singaporeans carry out together. Singing the national anthem, taking the pledge and attending the flag-raising ceremony are examples of the common practices carried out in school. By singing the national anthem and taking the pledge every day, students are reminded that they are citizens of Singapore, of one people and one nation, and not people of different races and religions. These common practices help to foster national identity. Inculcating loyalty and national pride towards Singapore is one way to get Singaporeans to see themselves as one people, thus forging a national identity through common practices is one measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity.

Forging a national identity through bilingualism is one measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity. Under the policy of bilingualism, students are expected to learn English and their own mother tongue. English, a common language among the different races, is used as the language linking the different ethnic groups. Some schools offer a third language to their students, for example, Chinese (Special Programme) and Malay (Special Programme). By learning a third language, this means that students are able to communicate better with peers from other ethnic groups. When different ethnic groups can communicate with one another, it will enable them to foster understanding and establish friendships, thereby reducing misunderstandings and conflict among the different ethnic groups. Also as English is a non-native language for all the ethnic groups, no one has the advantage over others. Thus no ethnic groups will feel disadvantaged or being treated unfairly. As a result of this, there will be less resentment amongst the different ethnic groups, hence forging a national identity through bilingualism is one measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity.

• Developing common space

Creating opportunities for interaction is another measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity. An example is developing common space through events and programmes organised by grassroots organisations. Grassroots organizations such as People’s Association (PA) create common space through their wide range of programmes and activities developed to cater to the needs and interests of every Singaporean. One of the programmes conducted for students is a home visit or home stay opportunity with a host family from another ethnic group. By doing this, this means that participants are given the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the cultures and customs of other races. With mutual respect for other races, strong friendships can be built over time. With better understanding for other races, people of different ethnic groups will be more tolerant of each other, thus conflicts arising from ethnic diversity will be reduced, hence creating opportunities for interaction through events and programmes organised by grassroots organisations is another measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity.

Creating opportunities for interaction through opportunities offered by educational institutions is another measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity. Educational institutions such as schools and tertiary institutions are open to every Singaporean, regardless of their race, language or religion. Students from different races and religion study together. The daily interaction that takes place among students during lessons and school activities provides an opportunity for friendships to be cultivated and strengthened. The implementation of Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) in schools helps promote closer bonds among youths from all races. Through the variety of activities conducted during CCAs, students of different races are given opportunities to work closely together and understand one another better. When students from different races come together to play games and work on a task, this helps to build teamwork. Through CCAs, students learn to appreciate one another’s talents and respect one another as individuals. Social bonds among students from various ethnic groups are fostered through such school-based activities. As students learn about racial mixing in schools, they will make friends with people of different races, thus understanding and appreciating people of different racial and religious groups. Hence there will be less chances of fights breaking out. Thus creating opportunities for interaction through opportunities offered by educational institutions is another measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity.

Creating opportunities for interaction through common living space provided by public housing is yet another measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity. The ethnic integration policy was introduced to put a limit on the proportion of races in every neighbourhood and block. This ensures that there is an even distribution of the different races in all housing estates. Living together in the same neighbourhood provides opportunities for people of different ethnic groups to interact. As people of different ethnic groups use common space such as the lifts, playgrounds and sitting area at the void decks, they have the chance to interact and form friendships. This enables people of different races to understand each other and thus less conflict would occur due to the misunderstanding of another ethnic group’s customs and culture and way of living, hence creating opportunities for interaction through common living space provided by public housing is yet another measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity.

Creating opportunities through interaction through activities conducted by Inter-Racial Confidence Circles (IRCCs) and Harmony Circles (HCs) is also another measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity. Activities carried out by the IRCCs such as visits to places of worship create opportunities for Singaporeans to appreciate their differences and develop strong bonds among different ethnic and religious communities. HCs also organized inter-racial and inter-religious activities such as playing traditional games at the workplace. All these activities organized by the IRCCs and HCs provide opportunities for people to come together to interact and learn about the other ethnic groups. This help to foster friendships and appreciation to reduce the possibility of fighting amongst the different ethnic groups. Thus creating opportunities through interaction through activities conducted by Inter-Racial Confidence Circles (IRCCs) and Harmony Circles (HCs) is also another measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity.

Creating opportunities through interaction through shared experience during National Service is another measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity too. NS requires all able-bodied men to serve in the defence of the country. NS thus provides a platform for men of all races to come together for a common goal, i.e. to defend the country. The shared experiences, for example, going through military training, help to strengthen the bond among the men. As they work towards the common goal of defending the country, they will have a sense of unity among them even though they may not be of the same ethnic group. This helps to bond people of different ethnic groups and reduce the conflicts that may happen, thus creating opportunities through interaction through shared experience during National Service is another measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity too.

The opportunities to interact offered by the educational institutions is the most effective way to bond Singaporeans compared to shared experiences through National Service or having ethnic integration policy in our public housing. This is because in the educational institutions, the pupils get to learn about the other races from young. They are less prejudiced against others. At the age where their opinions are still been shaped, they are more amiable and open to accept others and when the friendships are formed, they will grow up less prejudice against others.

• Safeguarding the rights of the minority groups

Safeguarding the interests of the minority groups through minority representation is also another measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity. The Presidential Council of Minority Rights (PCMR) and the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) are two examples of how representation of the minority groups is achieved. The PMCR consists of members from minority racial and religious groups. This ensures that no racial or religious group is disadvantaged as a result of a law that is passed in Parliament. Thus all laws are fair to all racial and religious groups, so that no racial and religious groups will feel resentment and that they have been unfairly treated. The GRC ensures that at least one of the candidates in the team contesting in the General Election is from the minority racial communities such as Malay, Indian or Eurasian. The GRC ensures that the minority racial groups are represented in the Parliament. In this way, the concerns and needs of the minority are made known to the government and the laws and policies passed can then be made to meet their needs even though they are the minority. The policy of minority representation gives minority groups a say in governance which is one way to safeguard the interests of the minority groups. Thus safeguarding the interests of the minority groups through minority representation is also another measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity.

Safeguarding the interests of the minority groups through self-help groups is another measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity too. Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC), Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA), Mendaki and the Eurasian Association play an important role in helping members of their community who are less fortunate to get aid in their studies and training for their jobs. Self-help groups also give moral support to members of their own community. This helps Singaporeans to cope and compete with one another on an equal footing. By doing so, people from minority groups will be able to improve their social and economic positions in the society. This ensures that the minority groups will not be left behind and feel disadvantaged. Since 2002, the different self-help groups have embarked on joint projects such as joint tuition programme. These joint efforts allow students from different ethnic groups to attend the same tuition classes together in tuition centres run by CDAC, Mendaki and SINDA. This provides the opportunity for youths from different ethnic groups to interact and get along with one another, forming friendships and reducing the possible problems of ethnic diversity. Thus safeguarding the interests of the minority groups through self-help groups is another measure adopted by the Singapore government to manage ethnic diversity too.