Many people do not know about the conflict in Sri Lanka, or even where the country is. So, before going any further, I would like to discuss the background of Sri Lanka and the civil war it is now enmeshed in.
History to WWII
The BBC in its “country profile” of Sri Lanka reports that Sri Lanka is a beautiful and potentially prosperous island country located off the southeastern coast of India. 
For centuries, it has been known to travelers for its beauty and to traders for its tea industry. It was originally inhabited by groups of Sinhalese people, with a Tamil minority in the north and east. Later, it was colonized by the Dutch and British and known as Ceylon.
For centuries, it has been known to travelers for its beauty and to traders for its tea industry. It was originally inhabited by groups of Sinhalese people, with a Tamil minority in the north and east. Later, it was colonized by the Dutch and British and known as Ceylon.The Outbreak of War: 1983
After the British left in 1948, Sinhalese resentment toward the Tamil population, who they saw as the recipients of British favoritism, expressed itself in tensions between the two groups. In 1976, the group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was formed. Other pro-Tamil groups were formed during the same time period, but this group is the most important because it is one of the primary belligerents in the war today. In the 1983, civil war finally erupted following the murders of 13 government soldiers in an LTTE ambush. After the attack, Sinhalese all over the country attacked Tamils in the streets in an event that came to be known as “Black July” and killed between 400 and 3,000 civilians. This brought about the open aggression that has now persisted for over 25 years.
Modern History of the Conflict
Most of the fighting has happened in the northern part of the country, although the LTTE also used suicide bombings in the southern capital city of Colombo in the 1990s. There was a ceasefire agreement reached in 2002, but was violated continuously by both sides and then in January 2008, the government pulled out just before the agreement expired. In all, more than 60,000 people have been killed in this conflict, out of a population of 19.3 million.
LTTE Goals
Besides seeking reparations for the wrongs done to them, the LTTE is also fighting in pursuit of securing a separate Tamil state in Sri Lanka. However, most Tamils in the country live peacefully with the Sinhalese and do not support the actions of the LTTE.
A Terrorist Organization
In fact, according to Wikipedia, 32 separate nations have declared the LTTE to be a terrorist organization. Although both sides have been shown to exaggerate or lie at times in this conflict, the group no doubt does participate in some questionable activities. For example, many charity organizations around the world that claim to be fighting for the rights of the Tamil minority actually are fronts for the LTTE. Sadly, they make millions per year using these schemes.
The Basics of Recent Developments
Recently, the Sri Lankan government (led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa) has taken much LTTE territory in the north and reports that the war will be over soon. On February 3, 2009 the United States, European Union, Japan, and Norway issued a joint statement urging the LTTE to lay down their weapons and surrender, since the war will be over soon anyway. Nevertheless, the rebels (led by Velupillai 
Prabhakaran) have vowed to fight on, utilizing the guerrilla tactics which are their main advantage.
Prabhakaran) have vowed to fight on, utilizing the guerrilla tactics which are their main advantage.So… Who is Right?
It is difficult to say who has the side of “right” in this conflict, because both sides have provoked conflict, and both sides have their reasons for fighting. Maybe in the long run it doesn’t matter who is right and who is wrong, but it is interesting to look back at what has happened so far in the conflict. An article by Al Jazeera English sums up the events from 1948 to 2009:
- 1948: The “Citizenship Act” denied citizenship to the Tamils whose ancestors were brought to Sri Lanka by the British to work on tea plantations.
- 1948: The “Citizenship Act” denied citizenship to the Tamils whose ancestors were brought to Sri Lanka by the British to work on tea plantations.
- 1956: Sinhala is made the official language of Sri Lanka. Peaceful protests by the Tamil population are broken up by a mob.
- 1970: Buddhism is the official religion of Sri Lanka, which further alienates the Tamils who are predominantly Christian or Hindu.
- 1976: LTTE formed.
- 1983: “Black July.” The murder of 13 soldiers sparks riots that in turn spark the civil war.
- 1987: India deploys a peacekeeping force (the IPKF) to Sri Lanka.
- 1990: The IPKF withdraws. Over 100,000 Muslims are expelled from LTTE-dominated areas.
- 1993: Ranasinghe Premasdasa, President of Sri Lanka is killed by an LTTE suicide bomber.
- 1999: Chandrika Kumaratunge, the first female President of Sri Lanka, is wounded in an assassination attempt at an election rally.
- 2002: Ceasefire (brokered by Norway) comes into effect.
- 2004: The LTTE splits between two influential commanders: Colonel Karuna, who goes on to form a pro-government movement, and Prabhakaran.
- 2007: The army takes back the LTTE-held town of Vakarai, and the LTTE attacks Colombo airport among other targets
- 2008: The government formally withdraws from the ceasefire.
- 2009: The government has reportedly captured Kilinochchi, the political hub of the LTTE. War could end in the next few days.
As you can see, both sides have traded blows. The way I see it, both the LTTE and the government do have some legitimate reasons to be angry. For the sake of peace, I just hope that they can lay aside their differences, as clichéd as that sounds. After 25 years, I think that they should be able to let bygones be bygones and all that.
Civil War is not Enough!?
Sri Lanka also faces the devastation left on the southern shores in the wake of the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004, which killed 30,000 Sri Lankans.
More Information…
If you want to read more detail, here are the links to the articles I used.
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/country_profiles/1168427.stm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_Civil_War
- http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/blanktemplate/2008/11/2008111061193133.html
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/country_profiles/1168427.stm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_Civil_War
- http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/blanktemplate/2008/11/2008111061193133.html
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