The Role of Information Warfarein Exacerbating Ethnic Tensions:A Case Study of Sinhala-Muslim Dynamics in SriLanka

Abstract

The world is currently witnessing an Information war (IW) that extends beyond traditional military conflicts. Vital information has the power to forge international alliances or breach harmony. IW manifests through disinformation, misinformation, false information, propaganda, hate speech, cyber hacking, and election meddling, resulting in chaos, polarization, division, and misrepresentation. This non-kinetic competition poses a significant and disruptive threat globally. In the context of Sri Lanka, IW poses a critical national security challenge by breaching peace and harmony. The researcher in the end has attempted to identify and understand that IW in Sri Lanka often exploits historical grievances, religious differences, and ethnic tensions to fuel conflict. This manipulation of information exacerbates existing divisions and threatens social cohesion. This research aims to identify IW as an emerging threat and assess its impact on Sri Lanka's security landscape in light of ethnic tensions. As the methodology, the researcher has utilized a qualitative methodology and secondary data have been utilized to conduct a social media analysis, by doing that researcher seeks to uncover gaps, weaknesses, and loopholes in Sri Lanka. The research will address several key questions: How does IW manifest in Sri Lanka? What are the specific impacts of IW on national security and societal harmony? What proactive and preventive measures can Sri Lanka implement to counter IW effectively? In conclusion, the researcher attempts to showcase how addressing IW requires a multifaceted approach that combines regulatory measures, educational initiatives, and community engagement.