ABSTRACT

This chapter explains internal migration in Sri Lanka as a starting point for the analysis of related social phenomena: unbalanced sex ratios and spouse separation, the rise in suicide, and the continuing problem of ethnic conflict. It provides a brief review of our findings, then a discussion of some of the most pressing areas for future research that were exposed in the process of our explorations of the census and other data, and some implications for public policy. The relationship between internal migration patterns and suicide appears to be strong in many districts, particularly those of the Dry Zone where male and female suicides are among the very highest in Asia. The exposure of unintended consequences of internal migration–unbalanced sex ratios, rising rates of suicide and ethnic conflict–carries with it some implications for public policy. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.