Sri Lankan Civil War

The Sri Lankan Civil War was a war fought in the island of Sri Lanka. It started on 23 July 1983. There was a revolt against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (also called the Tamil Tigers-தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள்.). They fought to create an independent state for Tamil people called Tamil Eelam in the north and the east of the island.

The war lasted for 26 years.  A ceasefire in the early 2000s broke down and the fighting began again.  The Sri Lankan military defeated the Tamil Tigers in May 2009.  The civil war caused a terrible setback to the social, cultural, and economic life of the country.  Tens of thousands of people were killed.

Related pages
Human rights in Sri Lanka