论后发多民族国家政治整合的民主化困境与民族冲突——以斯里兰卡为例

Plight of democratization and ethic conflicts in the political integration of late- developing and multi- ethnic countries: A case study of Sri Lanka

斯里兰卡是后发多民族国家民主化转型失败的典型案例。持续不断的民族冲突的根源在于后发多民族国家的多元文化差异性和民主社会所需要的民族文化认同之间的矛盾。民族冲突的路径体现了政客们利用"多数决定少数"原则操控民主以及族群动员引发的制度衰败的过程。当务之急是在观念层面淡化民族差异,提高国族认同;同时在国家结构的层面上实行改革,使其在民主理想的旗帜下,建立能够及时反映不同社会群体的诉求和满足他们愿望的制度机制。

Sri Lanka is a typical example of how democratic transition of a late - developing and multi - ethnic country has failed. The continuous ethnic conflicts in such countries have their root causes in the contradictions between cultural heterogeneity and cultural i- dentity required by a democratic society. The ethnic conflicts find expression in the politicians＇ use of the principle of majority rule for controlling democracy and the process of the institutional decay initiated by mobilized ethnic groups. It is imperative that we should di- lute the ideology of ethnic differences, strengthen the national identity, carry out reforms at the national level, and establish institutional mechanisms that can reflect the different requirements of different social groups and satisfy their desires under the guidance of democrat- ic ideals.