therefore hoped that it would repeal the laws discriminating against Kurds. 52. Mrs. PARKER (International Educational Development, Inc.) welcomed the Sub-Commission's initiatives to study ways and means of facilitating peaceful and constructive solutions to problems involving minorities. 53. Both Mrs. Palley's working paper (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1989/43) and Mr. Eide's progress report (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1990/46) reflected the Sub-Commission's current intention to focus on contributing to the resolution of conflicts rather than on defining minorities or their rights, although both experts had recognized that some attention must be given to the content of minority rights and to relevant definitions. She urged the Sub-Commission to maintain contact with the Commission and its Working Group throughout the debates on the subject. 54. The lED had several concerns relating to minorities that had not yet been addressed. The first related to situations in which States controlled by majority groups failed to protect the human rights of minority groups. That situation was not easy to solve peacefully, and ultimately involved the question as to the point at which persistent discrimination and the non-fulfilment of the human rights of a minority generated that minority's right to self-determination and loss of the majority Government's right to govern the minority. Unless that question was addressed, it might be impossible to resolve a number of current conflicts. 55. That issue was perhaps best illustrated by the situation in Sri Lanka. Prior to colonial rule, that island had contained two separate States: one Sinhalese and one Tamil. The colonial Power had established unitary rule, and decolonization had resulted in a continuation of the unitary State, with a Sinhalese majority and a Tamil minority. The lands formerly governed by Tamils now came under the jurisdiction of the unitary Government, which was heavily dominated by Sinhalese, and the Tamil people were no longer in charge of affairs in their traditional lands. 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing human rights and minority rights, particularly in the context of international law and the work of the United Nations. The language used is formal and academic, suggesting a focus on international relations and human rights rather than a specific sector like industry or agriculture.

**Category**
Humanitarian aid and relief, Human rights