Sri Lankan Civil War 1983
Date July 1983 – present Location Sri Lanka Status Ongoing
Belligerents
Sri Lanka Indian Peace Keeping Force(1987–90)	Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Commanders
Junius Richard Jayawardene (1983-89) Ranasinghe Premadasa (1989-93) Dingiri Banda Wijetunge (1993-94) Chandrika Kumaratunga (1994-2005) Mahinda Rajapaksa (2005-present)	Velupillai Prabhakaran (1983-present)
Strength
111,000[1]	11,000[1]
Casualties and losses
17,066 SLA soldiers killed as of 2001; [2] 1,500 IPKF soldiers killed; 1,000 Sri Lankan police killed;[3][4] estimated 1,900 SLA soldiers killed after 2001[5][6][7]	19,877 Tigers killed as of 2007 [8]
32,000 civilians killed

Sri Lankan Conflict

Background

Sri Lanka • History of Sri Lanka

Origins of the Civil War

Origins of the Civil War Black July • Riots and pogroms Human rights • Allegations of state terror Tamil militant groups

LTTE

LTTE • Attacks • Expulsion of Muslims from Jaffna

Current major figures

Mahinda Rajapaksa Velupillai Prabhakaran Karuna Amman Gotabaya Rajapaksa Sarath Fonseka

Indian Involvement

Operation Poomalai Indo-Sri Lanka Accord Indian Peace Keeping Force Rajiv Gandhi • RAW

See also

Military of Sri Lanka TMVP • EPDP Notable assassinations • Child soldiers This box: view • talk • edit

Sri Lanka

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Sri Lanka

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The Sri Lankan Civil War is an ongoing conflict on the island-nation of Sri Lanka. Events in July The traditional period known as "fence month" (the closed season for deer in England ended July 9 (date varied Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island Indian Peace Keeping Force ( IPKF; Hindi: भारतीय शान्ति सेना was the Indian military contingent performing a Peacekeeping Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) "LTTE" redirects here For the Led Zeppelin bootleg see Listen to This Eddie. Junius Richard Jayewardene ( September 17 1906 &ndash November 1 1996) famously abbreviated in Sri Lanka as JR, was the Ranasinghe Premadasa ( June 23, 1924 - May 1, 1993) was the 3rd President of Sri Lanka from January 2, 1989 Dingiri Banda Wijetunga ( February 15, 1916 &ndash 21 September, 2008) was the President of Sri Lanka from May 1, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga (born 29 June 1945) was the fifth President (and fourth to hold the office as Executive president) of Percy Mahinda Rajapaksa (commonly known as Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sinhala මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ; maˈhində ˈraːjəˌpakʂə born November Velupillai Prabhakaran (வேலுப்பிள்ளை பிரபாகரன் born November 26, 1954) also known informally as Thambi (தம்பி Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Indian Peace Keeping Force ( IPKF; Hindi: भारतीय शान्ति सेना was the Indian military contingent performing a Peacekeeping Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island Traditionally the recorded History of Sri Lanka boasts of 25 chronicled centuries Origins of the Sri lankan civil war is highlighted by the continuous political rancor between the majority Sinhalese and the minority Tamils Black July is the commonly used name for the Pogroms starting in Sri Lanka on July 23 1983. Following is a List of riots and pogroms in Sri Lanka 1915 riots The first reported organized riots in Sri Lanka were against the minority Sri Lankan Muslims Major human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, as well as the United States Department of State and the European Union, Various Non-governmental organizations and individuals have accused the Sri Lankan government of committing state terrorism Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups rose to prominence in the 1970s to fight the state of Sri Lanka to create an independent Tamil Eelam. "LTTE" redirects here For the Led Zeppelin bootleg see Listen to This Eddie. The following is a list of attacks attributed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE commonly known as the Tamil Tigers The expulsion of the Muslims from the Northern province was an act of Ethnic cleansing carried out by the Tamil militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Percy Mahinda Rajapaksa (commonly known as Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sinhala මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ; maˈhində ˈraːjəˌpakʂə born November Velupillai Prabhakaran (வேலுப்பிள்ளை பிரபாகரன் born November 26, 1954) also known informally as Thambi (தம்பி Colonel Karuna Amman is the Nom de guerre of Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan (born 1966 the President of the TMVP ( TamilEela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal Lieutenant Colonel (Ret Nandasena Gotabhaya Rajapaksa RWP, RSP, GR is the current Permanent Lt Gen Sarath Fonseka RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, rcds psc, SLSR is a Sri Lankan Army officer who has served throughout Operation Poomalai or Eagle Mission 4 was the codename assigned to a mission undertaken by the Indian Air Force to airdrop supplies over the besieged town of Sri Lankan Civil War See also Sri Lankan Civil War Sri Lanka, from the early part of the 1980s was facing an increasingly violent ethnic strife Indian Peace Keeping Force ( IPKF; Hindi: भारतीय शान्ति सेना was the Indian military contingent performing a Peacekeeping Rajiv Gandhi राजीव गांधी (raːdʒiːv gaːnd̪ʰiː born in Bombay, (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991 the elder son of Indira and Feroze Research and Analysis Wing ( RAW or R&AW) is India 's external Intelligence agency. The Military of Sri Lanka consists of Three Branches which are the Army, Navy, Air Force which comes under the Ministry of Defence. Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP ( தமிழ் மக்கள் விடுதலைப்புலிகள், Tamil Peoples Liberation Tigers) also The Eelam People's Democratic Party is a Political party and a Paramilitary organization in Sri Lanka. Since the onset of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 1983 militant and paramilitary groups have assassinated many Public figures on suspicion of being sympathizers or informants Military use of children in Sri Lanka has been an internationally recognized problem since the inception of the Sri Lankan civil war in 1983. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island TemplatePolitics of Sri Lanka Politics of Sri Lanka takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic Republic, whereby the President The President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the elected Head of state and the Head of government. Percy Mahinda Rajapaksa (commonly known as Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sinhala මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ; maˈhində ˈraːjəˌpakʂə born November The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is the functional head of the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. Ratnasiri Wickremanayake MP (born on May 5, 1933) is the 14th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and a veteran politician The Cabinet of Sri Lanka is the council of cabinet ministers, responsible to parliament. The Parliament of Sri Lanka is a Unicameral 225-member Legislature elected by Universal suffrage and Proportional representation for In Sri Lanka the Speaker of the Parliament is the individual who chairs the country's legislative body the Parliament of Sri Lanka. The Leader of the Opposition in the Sri Lanka is the politician who leads main opposition This article lists political parties in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has a Two-party system, which means that there are two dominant political parties with During the Donoughmore period of political experimentation (1931-48 several Sri Lanka leftist parties were formed For the current elections in the Eastern Province see Sri Lanka Eastern Provincial Council elections 2008 The Provinces of Sri Lanka (පළාත have existed since 1987 following several decades of increasing demand for a decentralization of the Government of Sri Lanka The provinces of Sri Lanka are divided into 25 Districts ( Sinhala: දිස්ත්‍රි‌ක්‌ක sing |||} The districts of Sri Lanka are divided into administrative sub-units known as divisional secretariats. The Sri Lankan Civil War is an Ongoing conflict on the Island -nation of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka traditionally follows a nonaligned foreign policy but has been seeking closer relations with the United States since December 1977 Information on politics by country is available for every Country, including both De jure and De facto independent This is a list of ongoing conflicts that are happening around the world which continue to result in violent deaths An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island Since the year 1983, there has been on-and-off civil war, predominantly between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, also known as the Tamil Tigers), a separatist militant organization who fight for the creation of an independent state named Tamil Eelam in the North and East of the island. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) A civil war is a War between a State and domestic political actors that are in control of some part of the territory claimed by the state TemplatePolitics of Sri Lanka Politics of Sri Lanka takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic Republic, whereby the President "LTTE" redirects here For the Led Zeppelin bootleg see Listen to This Eddie. Separatism refers to the advocacy of a state of cultural ethnic tribal religious racial or gender separation from the larger group often with demands for greater political autonomy Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising Tamil Eelam ( Tamil: தமிழ் ஈழம் tamiḻ īḻam) is the name given by certain Tamil groups in Sri Lanka to the state which they aspire Northern Province ( Sinhala: Uturu Palata) is a province of Sri Lanka. Eastern Province ( Tamil: கிழக்கு மாகாணம் Sinhala: Negenahira Palata) is a province of Sri Lanka. It is estimated over 70,000 people have been officially listed as killed in the war since 1983[1]. As one of the world's deadliest ongoing armed conflicts, it has caused significant harm to the population and severe damage to the economy of the country, leading to the ban of the LTTE, the conflict's chief antagonist, as a terrorist organization in 30 countries including the United States, Australia, the countries of the European Union, and Canada. Economic history Sri Lanka began to shift away from a Socialist orientation in 1977 Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page

The possibility of a lasting peace were raised when a cease-fire was declared in December 2001, and a ceasefire agreement was signed with international mediation in 2002. ^[9] However hostilities renewed in late 2005 and the conflict has continued to escalate, resulting in the deaths of over 4,000 people since November 2005. ^[10] The government has launched a number of military offensives against the LTTE since July 2006, and driven the LTTE out of the entire Eastern province of the island,^[11] and on the fifth anniversary of the signing of the agreement the LTTE declared they would "resume their freedom struggle to achieve statehood". ^[12] The government's forces also claimed recently to have destroyed all the large arms smuggling vessels that belonged to the LTTE. ^[13] Just after the government's military commanders expressed their hope to win the war in the near future,^[14] on January 2, 2008 the government formally announced withdrawal from the ceasefire agreement. The Government further alleged that the LTTE violated the agreement over 10,000 times. ^[15]

As a result of fighting since April 2006, there are more than 200,000 internally displaced persons in the country. Deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on civilians (including killings during aerial bombardment, shelling and claymore mine attacks) are taking place in violation of international humanitarian law. On December 7, 2007 the Human Rights Watch and the Amnesty International in a joint letter asked the UN Human Rights Council to take urgent action in order to end abuses in Sri Lanka, both by the government and the LTTE. Human Rights Watch is a United States -based international Non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on Human rights. Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a Western based international Non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to The United Nations Human Rights Council is an international body within the United Nations System. ^[16]

Contents 1 Origin and Evolution 2 Outbreak of civil war 3 Indian involvement 3.1 Rajiv Gandhi Assassination 4 Eelam War II 5 Eelam War III 5.1 Early peace efforts 6 2002 Peace process 6.1 Beginning of the ceasefire 6.2 Signing of MoU 6.3 Political changes in the South 6.4 Split of the LTTE 6.5 Tsunami and aftermath 7 Resumption of hostilities 7.1 Talks and further violence 7.2 Mavil Oya (Mavil Aru) Water dispute 7.3 LTTE offensives in Muttur & Jaffna 7.4 Chencholai Air strike 7.5 Fall of Sampur 7.6 LTTE retaliation and further peace talks 7.7 Government offensive in the East 7.8 Government offensive in the North. Targeting the leadership of LTTE 8 Sri Lanka pulls out of Ceasefire 9 See also 10 References 11 Bibliography 12 External links

Origin and Evolution

Main article: Origins of the Sri Lankan civil war

The ancient chronicle Mahavamsa tells of Tamils from South India in conflict with the Sinhalese. Origins of the Sri lankan civil war is highlighted by the continuous political rancor between the majority Sinhalese and the minority Tamils The Mahavamsa, ("Great Chronicle " is a historical poem written in the Pali language of the kings of Sri Lanka. However, the root of modern conflict goes back to British colonial rule when the country was known as Ceylon. A nationalist political movement from Sinhalese communities arose in the country in the early 20th century with the aim of obtaining political independence, which was eventually granted by the British after peaceful negotiations in 1948. After the independence from Britain, the Sinhalese majority wished to assert their political supremacy. Disagreements between the Sinhalese and Tamil ethnic communities flared up when drawing up the country's first post-independence constitution. Prime Minister S. W. R. D Bandaranaike's declaration of the "Sinhala Only Act" language policy was the spark that led to conflict. The Sinhala Only Act (formally the Official Language Act) was a law passed in the Sri Lankan parliament in 1956 The civil war is a direct result of the escalation of the confrontational politics that followed. Communal uprisings in the 1950s, 1977, and the formation of the Tamil United Liberation Front TULF with its Vaddukkodei(Batakotte) resolution of 1976 were key events. The Tamil United Liberation Front (in Tamil: தமிழர் ஐக்கிய விடுதலை முன்னணி in Sinhala: ද්රවිඩ එක්සත් These led to a hardening of attitudes on both sides.

The TULF supported the armed actions of young militants who were dubbed "our boys. " These "boys" were the product of the post-war population explosion. Many partially educated, unemployed Sinhala and Tamil youth fell for simplistic racist and violent revolutionary solutions to their problems. The leftist parties had remained "non-communal" for a long time, but the Federal Party (as well as its off-shoot, the TULF), deeply conservative and dominated by Vellala casteism, did not attempt to form a national alliance with the leftists in their fight for language rights.

Following the sweeping electoral victory of the UNP in July 1977, the TULF became the leading opposition party, with around one sixth of the total electoral vote. In late 1977, in the aftermath of a serious communal clash in August that year, Junius Richard Jayawardene's UNP government granted essentially all the language and educational rights demanded by the Tamils^[17]. Junius Richard Jayewardene ( September 17 1906 &ndash November 1 1996) famously abbreviated in Sri Lanka as JR, was the But the Tamil leadership, now totally subject, virtually on pain of death, to the reclusive military leader of the "Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam" (LTTE), could not take advantage of the favorable political situation, and were thus forced to support the violent campaign of the various Tamil militant groups.

Outbreak of civil war

Main article: Eelam War I

Supported by the on-going politics of conflict in Sri Lanka, politicized Tamil youth in the North and the East started to form militant groups, some funded by bank robberies. Eelam War I is the name given to the initial phase of the armed conflict between the government of Sri Lankan and the LTTE. Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups rose to prominence in the 1970s to fight the state of Sri Lanka to create an independent Tamil Eelam. These groups developed independently of the Colombo Tamil leadership, and in the end rejected and annihilated them. The most prominent of these groups was the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or the LTTE. "LTTE" redirects here For the Led Zeppelin bootleg see Listen to This Eddie. The LTTE initially carried out a campaign of violence against the state, particularly targeting policemen and also moderate Tamil politicians who attempted a dialogue with the government. Their first major operation was the assassination of the mayor of Jaffna, Alfred Duraiappah in 1975. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In fact, the modus operandi of the early war was based on assassinations. The assassination in 1977 of a Tamil Member of Parliament, M. Canagaratnam, was carried out personally by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the LTTE^[18]. Velupillai Prabhakaran (வேலுப்பிள்ளை பிரபாகரன் born November 26, 1954) also known informally as Thambi (தம்பி

In July 1983, the LTTE launched a deadly attack on the military in the north of the country, killing 13 soldiers^[19]. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) It was followed with riots in Colombo, the capital, and elsewhere (see Black July). Colombo ( Sinhala:, ˈkoləmbə Tamil: கொழும்பு is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. Black July is the commonly used name for the Pogroms starting in Sri Lanka on July 23 1983. Between 400 and 3,000 Tamils were estimated to have been killed,^[20] and many more fled Sinhalese-majority areas. This is usually considered the beginning of the civil war.

Apart from the LTTE, there initially was a plethora of militant groups. The LTTE's position, adopted from that of the PLO, was that there should be only one. The Palestine Liberation Organization ( PLO) (منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية or Munazzamat al-Tahrir al-Filastiniyyah) is a political and paramilitary Initially the LTTE gained prominence due to devastating attacks such as the massacre of civilians at the Kent and Dollar Farms in 1984 and the Anuradhapura massacre of 146 civilians in 1985. The Kent and Dollar Farm massacres was one of the earliest massacres of Sinhalese civilians carried out by the LTTE during the Sri Lankan Civil War The Anuradhapura massacre occurred in Sri Lanka in 1985 and was carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The Anuradhapura massacre was apparently retaliated for by government forces with the Kumudini boat massacre in which over 23 Tamil civilians died. Kumudini or Kumuthini boat massacre happened on 15 May 1985 when at least 23 minority Sri Lankan Tamil men women and children on a ferry Over time the LTTE merged with or largely exterminated almost all the other militant Tamil groups. As a result, many Tamil splinter groups ended up working with the Sri Lankan government as paramilitaries or denounced violence and joined mainstream politics, and some legitimate Tamil-oriented political parties reamin, all opposed to LTTE's vision of an independent state. A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military force but which are not regarded as having the same status

Peace talks between the LTTE and the government began in Thimphu in 1985, but they soon failed, and the war continued. Thimphu ( is the Capital of Bhutan, and also the name of the surrounding valley and Dzongkhag In 1986 many civilians were massacred as part of this conflict. Akkaraipattu massacre happened on 19 February 1986 when up to 80 Minority Sri Lankan Tamil farm workers were allegedly killed by the In 1987, government troops pushed the LTTE fighters to the northern city of Jaffna. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Jaffna or Yazhpanam (யாழ்ப்பாணம் in Tamil meaning யாழ்= In April 1987, the conflict exploded with ferocity, as both the government forces and the LTTE fighters engaged each other in a series of bloody operations.

The Sri Lankan military launched an offensive, called “Operation Liberation” or “Vadamarachchi Operation”, during May-June 1987, to regain the territory in Jaffna peninsula from the LTTE's control. This offensive marked the Sri Lankan military's first ever conventional warfare in Sri Lankan soil since independence. The military offensive was successful and the LTTE leader Prabhakaran and the Sea Tiger leader Soosai narrowly escaped from advancing troops at Valvettithurai. The key military personnel who involved in the operation were Lt Col. Vipul Boteju, Lt Col. Sarath Jayawardane, Col. Vijaya Wimalaratne, Brig. Major General Vijaya Wimalaratne RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, psc GR (In Sinhalese: විජය විමලරත්න Denzil Kobbekaduwa and Maj Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Lieutenant General Denzil Lakshman Kobbekaduwa RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, rcds psc SLAC (In Sinhalese: ලුතිනන් Lieutenant Colonel (Ret Nandasena Gotabhaya Rajapaksa RWP, RSP, GR is the current Permanent

In July 1987, the LTTE carried out their first suicide attack: "Captain Miller" of the Black Tigers drove a small truck with explosives through the wall of a fortified Sri Lankan army camp, reportedly killing forty soldiers. Vallipuram Vasanthan ( January 01, 1966 - 5 July 1987) was better known by his Nom de guerre Captain Miller was The Black Tigers are special wing of the LTTE who compose of specially selected and trained LTTE soldiers whose missions give them little chance of survival Since then they have carried out over 170 suicide attacks, more than any other organization in the world, and the suicide attack has become a trademark of the LTTE, and a characteristic of the civil war. ^[21]

Other assassinations by the LTTE include the murder of Dr. Rajini Thiranagama on September 21, 1989 by the LTTE, after criticizing them for their atrocities. Dr Rajini Thiranagama (nee Rajasingham) ( February 23, 1954 - September 21, 1989) was a Tamil human rights activist and Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) ^[22] She was the head of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Jaffna, a Tamil human rights activist, and feminist. Sri Lankan Tamil people ( or Ceylon Tamils, are an Ethnic group native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka who predominantly speak The University Teachers for Human Rights(Jaffna or UTHR(J was formed in 1988 at the University of Jaffna, Jaffna in Sri Lanka as Feminism is a discourse that involves various movements theories, and Philosophies which are concerned with the issue of Gender difference, advocate

The killings of Father Mary Bastian and George Jeyarajasingham, both human rights activists, have been attributed to the government forces. Father Mary Bastian (1948 &ndash 6 January, 1985) was a Minority Tamil Human Rights activist and local Roman Catholic George Jeyarajasingham (died 13 December 1984) was a minority Sri Lankan Tamil Human Rights activist and a Methodist Missionary These deaths are examples of thousands murdered that happened in this period. ^[23]

Indian involvement

See also: IPKF and Research and Analysis Wing

India became involved in the conflict in the 1980s for a number of reasons, including its leader's desire to project India as the regional power in the area and worries about India's own Tamils seeking independence. Indian Peace Keeping Force ( IPKF; Hindi: भारतीय शान्ति सेना was the Indian military contingent performing a Peacekeeping Research and Analysis Wing ( RAW or R&AW) is India 's external Intelligence agency. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. The latter was particularly strong in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, where ethnic kinship led to strong support for independence for Sri Lankan Tamils. Tamil Nadu ( Tamil:, Country of the Tamils, t̪ɐmɨɻ n̪aːɽɯ is one of the 28 states of India. Throughout the conflict, the Indian central and state governments have supported both sides in different ways. Beginning in the 1980s, India, through its intelligence agency RAW, provided arms, training and monetary support to a number of Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups, including the LTTE and its rival Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO). Research and Analysis Wing ( RAW or R&AW) is India 's external Intelligence agency. The Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization or TELO is a Eelam Tamil organisation campaigning for the establishment of an independent Tamil Eelam in the northeast ^[24] The LTTE's rise is widely attributed to the initial backing it received from RAW. It is believed that by supporting different militant groups, the Indian government hoped to keep the Tamil independence movement divided and be able to exert overt control over it.

India became more actively involved in the late 1980s, and on June 5, 1987 the Indian Air Force airdropped food parcels to Jaffna while it was under siege by Sri Lankan forces. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) The Indian Air Force (Devanāgarī भारतीय वायु सेना IAST Bhartiya Vāyu Senā is the air arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the Operation Poomalai or Eagle Mission 4 was the codename assigned to a mission undertaken by the Indian Air Force to airdrop supplies over the besieged town of Jaffna or Yazhpanam (யாழ்ப்பாணம் in Tamil meaning யாழ்= The Operation Liberation or Vadamarachchi Operation, the military offensive carried out by the Sri Lankan military during May to June 1987, to re-gain the At a time when the Sri Lankan government stated they were close to defeating the LTTE, India dropped 25 tons of food and medicine by parachute into areas held by the LTTE in a direct move of support toward the rebels. ^[25] Negotiations were held, and the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord was signed on July 29, 1987, by Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President Jayewardene. Sri Lankan Civil War See also Sri Lankan Civil War Sri Lanka, from the early part of the 1980s was facing an increasingly violent ethnic strife Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Rajiv Gandhi राजीव गांधी (raːdʒiːv gaːnd̪ʰiː born in Bombay, (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991 the elder son of Indira and Feroze Junius Richard Jayewardene ( September 17 1906 &ndash November 1 1996) famously abbreviated in Sri Lanka as JR, was the Under this accord, the Sri Lankan Government made a number of concessions to Tamil demands, includeing a devolution of power to the provinces, a merger — subject to later referendum — of the northern and eastern provinces into a single province, and official status for the Tamil language (this was enacted as the 13th Amendment). Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a State to government at subnational level The Provinces of Sri Lanka (පළාත have existed since 1987 following several decades of increasing demand for a decentralization of the Government of Sri Lanka The North Eastern Province of Sri Lanka was an administrative unit created following the merger of the Northern Province and the Eastern Province of Sri India agreed to establish order in the north and east through a peacekeeping force, and to cease assisting Tamil insurgents. Militant groups including the LTTE, although initially reluctant, agreed to surrender their arms to the IPKF.

At the time the Sri Lankan government, which was facing an unrelated Marxist youth uprising by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna in the south, called in the Indian military immediately after the agreement was signed. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna ( Sinhala janatā vimukti peramuṇa, "People's Liberation Front" is a nationalist Marxist Political A force dubbed the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was formed, and it initially oversaw a cease-fire and a modest disarmament of the militant groups. Indian Peace Keeping Force ( IPKF; Hindi: भारतीय शान्ति सेना was the Indian military contingent performing a Peacekeeping Disarmament refers to the act of reducing limiting or abolishing Weapons. The Sri Lankan government pulled its troops south and put down the JVP rebellion as the IPKF took over control of most areas in the north of the country.

While most Tamil militant groups laid down their weapons and agreed to seek a peaceful solution to the conflict, the LTTE refused to disarm its fighters. ^[26] Keen to ensure the success of the accord, the IPKF then tried to demobilize the LTTE by force and ended up in full-scale conflict with the them. The three year long conflict was also marked by the IPKF being accused of committing various abuses of human rights by many human rights groups as well as some within the Indian media. The IPKF also soon met stiff opposition from the Tamils. ^[27][28] Simultaneously, nationalist sentiment led many Sinhalese to oppose the continued Indian presence in Sri Lanka. These led to the Sri Lankan government's call for India to quit the island, and they allegedly entered into a secret deal with the LTTE that culminated in a ceasefire. The LTTE and IPKF continued to have frequent hostilities, and according to some reports, the Sri Lankan government even armed the rebels in order to see the back of the Indian forces. ^[29] Although casualties among the IPKF mounted, and calls for the withdrawal of the IPKF from both sides of the Sri Lankan conflict grew, Gandhi refused to remove the IPKF from Sri Lanka. However, following his defeat in Indian parliamentary elections in December 1989, the new prime Minister V. P. Singh ordered the withdrawal of the IPKF, and their last ship left Sri Lanka on 24 March 1990. Vishwanath Pratap Singh (विश्वनाथ प्रताप सिंह born 25 June 1931) was the 10th Prime Minister of the The 32 month presence of the IPKF in Sri Lanka resulted in the deaths of 1100 Indian soldiers and over 5000 Sri Lankans. The cost for the Indian government was estimated at over 20 billion rupees.

Rajiv Gandhi Assassination

Support for the LTTE in India dropped considerably in 1991, after the assassination of ex-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, by an LTTE woman suicide bomber, Thenmuli Rajaratnam. Rajiv Gandhi राजीव गांधी (raːdʒiːv gaːnd̪ʰiː born in Bombay, (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991 the elder son of Indira and Feroze Thenmuli Rajaratnam (died 21 May 1991) was the The Indian press has subsequently reported that Prabhakaran decided to eliminate Gandhi as he considered him to be against the Tamil liberation struggle and feared that Gandhi might re-induct the IPKF, which Prabakaran termed the "satanic force", if he won the 1991 Indian elections. ^[30] In 1998 a court in India presided over by Special Judge V Navaneetham found the LTTE and its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran responsible for the assassination. ^[31] and in a 2006 interview, LTTE ideologue Anton Balasingham stated regret over the assassination, although he stopped short of outright acceptance of responsibility for it. ^[32][33]

India remains an outside observer to the ongoing peace process, with frequent demands to press for an extradition of Velupillai Prabhakaran, even if a peace deal is struck between the parties in the future. Velupillai Prabhakaran (வேலுப்பிள்ளை பிரபாகரன் born November 26, 1954) also known informally as Thambi (தம்பி India's central government has been firmly against the LTTE, although it does still speak up for Tamils' rights. However, regional Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu have often discreetly spoken in favor of the LTTE. The Self-Respect Movement was founded in 1925 by EV Ramasami Naicker (also known as Periyar in Tamil Nadu, India.

Eelam War II

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Main article: Eelam War II

In the 1980s and 1990s, successive governments enacted a number of official acts to appease the Tamil community, including recognizing Tamil as an official language and merging the Northern and Eastern Provinces of the country. Sri Lankan Tamil people ( or Ceylon Tamils, are an Ethnic group native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka who predominantly speak The Jaffna kingdom (யாழ்ப்பாண அரசு (1215-1619 CE also known as Kingdom of Aryacakravarti, of modern northern Sri Lanka came into existence Vannimai s or Vanni chieftaincies were Feudal divisions ruled by petty chiefs south of the Jaffna peninsula in the present-day Northern, History of Eastern Tamils of Sri Lanka is informed by local legends native literature and other colonial documents See also Jaffna kingdom The Aryacakravarti dynasty (ஆரியச் சக்கரவர்த்திகள் வம்சம் were kings of the Jaffna Vanniar or Vannia ( Tamil: வன்னியர் is a title of a Feudal chief in Medieval Sri Lanka who ruled as a tribute payer Sri Lankan Tamil literature or Ceylon Tamil literature refers to Tamil Literature produced in the current day country of Sri Lanka by various Hindus currently make up approximately 15% of the Sri Lankan population and are almost exclusively Tamils apart from immigrants from India The Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome The American Ceylon Mission (ACM to Jaffna, Sri Lanka started with the arrival in 1813 of missionaries sponsored by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Karaiyar, also known as Karayar, Karaiar or Kurukulam is a sea-faring and warrior Caste found in the Tamil Nadu state of India Koviar (also Koviyar or Covia) is a Sri Lankan Tamil Caste of traditional agriculturalists and temple workers Mukkuvar also Mukkuva are a Social group or Caste primarily a fishing community living in the coastal districts of Kerala, south Tamil Nalavar also Nalava is a Sri Lankan Tamil Caste of traditional agriculturalists and toddy tapers Vellalar amongst Sri Lankan Tamils are a dominat group of formerly farming related Caste group from Sri Lanka that is found amongst all walks of life and The Sri Lankan Tamil dialects or Ceylon Tamil dialects form a group of Tamil Dialects used in the modern country of Sri Lanka by Sri Lankan Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism is the conviction of the Sri Lankan Tamil people, a minority ethnic group in the South Asian island nation of Sri Lanka (formerly known All Ceylon Tamil Congress (in Tamil: அகில இலங்கைத் தமிழ்க் காங்கிரஸ்) is the oldest Tamil The Federal Party was a political party in Sri Lanka active from the mid-1950s until the 1970s The Tamil United Liberation Front (in Tamil: தமிழர் ஐக்கிய விடுதலை முன்னணி in Sinhala: ද්රවිඩ එක්සත් Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups rose to prominence in the 1970s to fight the state of Sri Lanka to create an independent Tamil Eelam. The Sri Lankan Civil War is an Ongoing conflict on the Island -nation of Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora refers to the global Diaspora of the people of Sri Lankan Tamil origin Tamil Canadian or Canadian Tamils are Canadians of Tamil ethnic origins mostly from Sri Lanka and other countries such as India, Malaysia Eelam War II is the name given to the second phase of armed conflict between Sri Lankan military and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory

Yet the violence continued, as the LTTE took control of significant parts of the north when the IPKF withdrew, and established many government-like functions in the areas under its control. Indian Peace Keeping Force ( IPKF; Hindi: भारतीय शान्ति सेना was the Indian military contingent performing a Peacekeeping A tentative ceasefire held in 1990 as the LTTE occupied itself with destroying rival Tamil groups while the government cracked down on the JVP uprising. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) When both major combatants had established their power bases, they turned on each other and the ceasefire broke down. The government launched an offensive to try to retake Jaffna.

This phase of the war soon acquired the name Eelam War II. It was marked by unprecedented brutality. The LTTE massacred 113 Sinhalese and Muslim policemen after they had surrendered on promises of safe conduct. The Kalmunai massacre refers to two series of mass killing that occurred on June 1990 in Kalmunai, a Municipality within the Ampara District of The government placed an embargo on food and medicine entering the Jaffna peninsula and the air force relentlessly bombed LTTE targets in the area. The LTTE responded by attacking Sinhalese and Muslim villages and massacring civilians. The following is a list of attacks attributed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE commonly known as the Tamil Tigers One of the largest civilian massacres of the war occurred when the LTTE massacred 166 Muslim civilians at Palliyagodella. The Palliyagodella massacre was carried out by the LTTE, an organization which has been banned in 33 countries including the US Australia EU India and Canada due The government trained and armed Home Guard Muslim units then took revenge on Tamil villages. There was also significant massacre of Tamil civilians attributed to government forces, especially in the Eastern Province. Notable international jurist Neelan Thiruchelvam, in a speech at the ICES-Colombo, indicated that the appropriate investigations into massacres and disappearances of civilians including many children in the Sathurukondan, Eastern University, Mylanthanai and the mass murder and burial of school children at Sooriyakanda were hampered by the adoption of emergency regulations which were contributing to a climate of impunity. Neelan Tiruchelvam also spelt Neelan Thiruchelvam was a Sri Lankan Tamil Politician and an internationally respected academic A forced disappearance occurs when an organization forces a person to vanish from Public view either by Murder or by simple Sequestration. 1990 Batticaloa massacre also known as Sathurukondan massacre is a massacre of at least 76 Minority Sri Lankan Tamil refugees including infants from Eastern University massacre also known as Vantharamulai (also Vantharoomulai campus massacre refers to the arrest and subsequent Mass murder of 158 Minority The Mylanthanai massacre happened on August 9 1992 when 35 minority Sri Lankan Tamils, including 14 children at Mylanthanai in Batticaloa The Sooriyakanda mass grave is the mass burial ground of murdered school children from Embilipitiya Maha Vidyalaya (Embilipitiya High School in Sri Lanka. An emergency is a situation which poses an immediate risk to Health, Life, Property or environment. This article is for the legal term For regulation of genes see Regulation of gene expression. ^[34] Along roadsides in the north and east, burning bodies became a common sight. Throughout the country, government death squads hunted down, kidnapped, or killed Sinhalese or Tamil youth suspected of being JVP or LTTE sympathizers, respectively. ^[35] In October 1990, the LTTE expelled all the Muslims residing in Jaffna. October events and holidays Children's Book Week ( England) - First Week of October National Day ( China People's Republic Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) The expulsion of the Muslims from the Northern province was an act of Ethnic cleansing carried out by the Tamil militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil A total of 28,000 Muslims were forced to leave their homes taking nothing but the clothes on their backs. ^[36]

The largest battle of the war was in July 1991, when the army's Elephant Pass (Alimankada) base, which controlled access to the Yapanaya (Jaffna) peninsula, was surrounded by 5,000 LTTE troops. Elephant Pass, ( Tamil: ஆனையிறவு Sinhala: අලිමංකඩ Northern Province, Sri Lanka is an important Military base More than 2,000 died on both sides in the month-long siege, before 10,000 government troops arrived to relieve the base. ^[37]

In February 1992, another series of government offensives failed to capture Jaffna. Lt. General Denzil Kobbekaduwa together with Major General Vijaya Wimalaratne and Rear Admiral Mohan Jayamaha, died on August 8, 1992 at Araly (Aeraella) point Jaffna due to a Land Mine blast, which badly affected military morale. Lieutenant General Denzil Lakshman Kobbekaduwa RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, rcds psc SLAC (In Sinhalese: ලුතිනන් Major General Vijaya Wimalaratne RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, psc GR (In Sinhalese: විජය විමලරත්න Rear admiral is a Naval Commissioned officer rank above that of a Commodore and Captain, and below that of a Vice Admiral. Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Jaffna or Yazhpanam (யாழ்ப்பாணம் in Tamil meaning யாழ்= A land mine is an Explosive device designed to be placed on or in the ground to explode when triggered by an operator or the Proximity of a vehicle person

The LTTE, for its part, scored a major victory when one of their suicide bombers killed Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa in May 1993. Ranasinghe Premadasa ( June 23, 1924 - May 1, 1993) was the 3rd President of Sri Lanka from January 2, 1989 Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar)

See also: List of attacks attributed to the LTTE

Eelam War III

Main article: Eelam War III

In the 1994 parliamentary elections, the UNP was defeated and, amidst great hope, the People's Alliance, headed by Chandrika Kumaratunga, came to power on a peace platform. The following is a list of attacks attributed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE commonly known as the Tamil Tigers Eelam War III is the name given to the third phase of armed conflict between Sri Lankan military and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) The People's Alliance (PA is a front of political parties in Sri Lanka, formed in 1994. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga (born 29 June 1945) was the fifth President (and fourth to hold the office as Executive president) of Chandrika Kumaratunga won the presidential elections as well after the LTTE assassinated the opposition leader Gamini Dissanayake. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga (born 29 June 1945) was the fifth President (and fourth to hold the office as Executive president) of Lionel Gamini Dissanayake ( March 20, 1942 - October 24, 1994) was a prominent Sri Lankan Politician and a former presidential A ceasefire was agreed in January 1995, but the ensuing negotiations proved fruitless. The LTTE broke the ceasefire on April 19 and thus began the next phase of the war, dubbed Eelam War III. ^[38]

The new government then pursued a policy of "war for peace". Determined to retake the key rebel stronghold of Jaffna, which was occupied by 2,000 rebels,^[39] it poured troops into the peninsula. In one particular incident in August 1995, Air Force jets bombed St. Peter's church at Navali (Naavaella), killing at least 65 refugees and wounding 150 others. The Navaly Church bombing was the result of bombing of The Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Navaly or Navali in the embattled Jaffna peninsula in Sri Lanka by the Sri Lankan ^[40] Government troops initially cut off the peninsula from the rest of the island,^[39] and then after 7 weeks of heavy fighting succeeded in bringing Jaffna under government control for the first time in nearly a decade. In a high profile ceremony, Sri Lankan Defense Minister Anurudda Ratwatte raised the national flag inside the Jaffna fort on December 5, 1995. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 The government estimated that approximately 2500 soldiers and rebels were killed in the offensive, and an estimated 7,000 wounded. ^[41]. Many civilians were killed as part of this conflict such as the Navaly church bombing in which over 125 civilians died. The Navaly Church bombing was the result of bombing of The Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Navaly or Navali in the embattled Jaffna peninsula in Sri Lanka by the Sri Lankan The LTTE and more than 350,000 civilians, compelled by LTTE pressure to leave Jaffna,^[42] fled to the Vanni region in the interior. Vanni is an electoral district in Northern Province Sri Lanka Most of the refugees returned later the next year.

The government launched another offensive in August 1996. Another 200,000 civilians fled the violence. ^[42] The town of Kilinochchi (GiraaNikke) was taken on September 29. Killinochchi (, கிளிநொச்சி scientific transliteration Kilinocci) is a small city in the Kilinochchi District, part of the Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. On May 13, 1997, 20,000 government troops tried to open a supply line through the LTTE-controlled Vanni, but failed. Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Civilians were regularly killed and wounded by both sides

As violence continued in the North, LTTE suicide and time bombs were exploded numerous times in populated city areas and public transport in the south of the country, killing hundreds of civilians. In January 1996, the LTTE carried out one of their deadliest suicide bomb attacks at the Central Bank in Colombo, killing 90 and injuring 1,400. The Central Bank bombing was one of the deadliest terrorist attacks carried out by the LTTE during the Separatist civil war in Sri Lanka between In October 1997 they bombed the Sri Lankan World Trade Center and, in January 1998, detonated a truck bomb in Kandy (Mahanuvara), damaging the Temple of the Tooth, one of the holiest Buddhist shrines in the world. Kandy ( maha nuvara, mahaˈnuərə in Sinhala, கண்டி kaṇṭi, ˈkaɳɖi in Tamil) is the English name for the city of The Sri Dalada Maligawa or The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a Temple in the city of Kandy in Sri Lanka. In response to this bombing, the Sri Lankan government outlawed the LTTE and with some success pressed other governments around the world to do the same, significantly interfering with their fund-raising activities.

In March 1999, in Operation Rana Gosa, the government tried invading the Vanni from the south. The army made some gains, taking control of Oddusuddan (Oththan-thuduva) and Madhu, but could not dislodge the LTTE from the region. In September 1999 the LTTE massacred 50 Sinhalese civilians at Gonagala. The Gongala Massacre was a massacre that occurred on September 18, 1999, in the small village of Gonagala, located in the Ampara District of

The LTTE returned to the offensive with "Operation Unceasing Waves" on November 2, 1999. Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Nearly all the Vanni rapidly fell back into LTTE hands. The LTTE launched 17 successful attacks in the region which culminated in the overrunning of the Paranthan (Puranthaenna) Chemicals Factory base and the Kurrakkan Kaddukulam (kurakkan-kaela vaeva) base. Thousands were killed in the fighting. The rebels also advanced north towards Elephant Pass (Alimankada) and Jaffna (Yapanaya). The LTTE was successful in cutting all land and sea supply lines of the Sri Lankan armed forces in the town of Kilinochchi and surrounding areas. Killinochchi (, கிளிநொச்சி scientific transliteration Kilinocci) is a small city in the Kilinochchi District, part of the In December 1999 the LTTE attempted to assassinate President Chandrika Kumaratunga in a suicide attack at a pre-election rally. She lost one eye, among other injuries, but was able to defeat opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe in the Presidential election and was reelected for her second term in office. Ranil Shriyan Wickramasinghe, MP (born March 24, 1949) is a Sri Lankan politician and current ^[43]

On April 22, 2000 the Elephant Pass military complex, which had separated the Jaffna peninsula from the Vanni mainland for 17 years, completely fell to the hands of the LTTE. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ^[44][45] The army then launched Operation Agni Khiela to take back the southern Jaffna Peninsula, but sustained losses. The LTTE continued to press towards Jaffna, and many feared it would fall to the LTTE, but the military repulsed LTTE offensives and was able to maintain control of the city.

Early peace efforts

Exhaustion with the war was building as casualties mounted and there appeared to be no end in sight. By mid-2000, human rights groups estimated that more than one million people in Sri Lanka were internally displaced persons, living in camps, homeless and struggling for survival. Internally displaced persons (IDPs are people forced to flee their homes but who unlike refugees remain within their country's borders As a result, a significant peace movement developed in the late 1990s, with many organizations holding peace camps, conferences, trainings and peace meditations, and many other efforts to bridge the two sides at all levels. A peace movement is a Social movement that seeks to achieve ideals such as the ending of a particular war (or all wars minimize inter-human violence in a particular place or The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 As early as February 2000, Norway was asked to mediate by both sides, and initial international diplomatic moves began to find a negotiated settlement to the conflict. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional ^[46]

Hopes for peace gained ground as the LTTE declared a unilateral ceasefire in December 2000, but they canceled it on April 24, 2001 and launched another offensive against the government. Events 1479 BC - Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. After securing a vast area controlled by the military, the LTTE further advanced northwards. This advancement of the LTTE was posing a serious threat to the Elephant Pass (Alimankada) military complex that housed 17,000 troops of the Sri Lankan forces. ^[47]

In July 2001 the LTTE carried out a devastating suicide attack on Bandaranaike International Airport, destroying eight of the air force's planes (2 IAI Kfirs, 1 Mil-17, 1 Mil-24, 3 K-8 trainers, 1 MiG-27) and four Sri Lankan Airlines planes (2 Airbus A330s, 1 A340 and 1 A320), dampening the economy and causing tourism, a vital foreign exchange earner for the government, to plummet. The Bandaranaike Airport attack was an assault by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE on Bandaranaike International Airport, on July 24, 2001 WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout SriLankan Airlines Limited (previously known as Air Lanka) is the national airline of Sri Lanka. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

2002 Peace process

Beginning of the ceasefire

Towards the end of 2001, however, following the attacks of 9/11, the LTTE began to declare their willingness to explore measures for a peaceful settlement to the conflict. The LTTE are believed to have taken this action after fear of international pressure and even direct US support of the Sri Lankan Government as part of the War on Terror. ^[48] In the south, the government was facing increasing criticism over its "war for peace" strategy, with peace nowhere in sight, and the economy in tatters. After losing a no-confidence motion, President Kumaratunga was forced to dissolve parliament and call for fresh elections. The elections, held on December 5, 2001 saw a sweeping victory for the United National Front, led by Ranil Wickremasinghe, who campaigned on a pro-peace platform and pledged to find a negotiated settlement to the conflict. Parliamentary elections were held in Sri Lanka on December 6, 2001, just a little over a year after the last elections in October 2000 United National Front can refer to United National Front (Afghanistan United National Front (Sri Lanka United National Ranil Shriyan Wickramasinghe, MP (born March 24, 1949) is a Sri Lankan politician and current

On December 19, amidst efforts by Norway to bring the government and the Tamil Tigers to the negotiating table, the LTTE announced a 30 day ceasefire with the Sri Lankan government and pledged to halt all attacks against government forces. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. ^[49] The new government welcomed the move, and reciprocated it 2 days later, announcing a month long ceasefire and agreeing to lift a long standing economic embargo on rebel-held territory. In international Commerce and politics, an embargo is the prohibition of commerce ^[50]

Signing of MoU

The two sides formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on February 22, 2002 and signed a permanent ceasefire agreement (CFA). Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Norway was named mediator, and it was decided that they, together with the other Nordic countries, monitor the ceasefire through a committee of experts named the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission. Mediation, a form of Alternative dispute resolution (ADR or "appropriate Dispute resolution " aims to assist two (or more disputants in reaching The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission ( SLMM) was established on 22 February 2002 under the terms of a ceasefire agreement signed by the Government of Sri ^[51] In August, the government agreed to lift the ban on the LTTE and paved the way for the resumption of direct negotiations with the LTTE. ^[52]

Following the signing of the ceasefire agreement, commercial air flights to Jaffna began and the LTTE opened the key A9 highway, which linked government controlled area in the south with Jaffna and ran through LTTE territory, allowing civilian traffic through the Vanni region for the first time in many years, but only after paying a tax to the LTTE. Many foreign countries also offered substantial financial support if peace was achieved and optimism grew that an end to the decades long conflict was in sight.

The much anticipated peace talks began in Phuket, Thailand on the September 16 and 5 further rounds followed in Phuket, Norway and Berlin, Germany. Phuket (ภูเก็ต pʰuːkɛt formerly known as Tha-Laang or Talang, or Junk Ceylon in Western sources a distortion of the Malay Tanjung The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. ^[53] During the talks, both sides agreed to the principle of a federal solution and the Tigers dropped their long standing demand for separate state. This was a key compromise from the LTTE, which had always insisted on an independent Tamil state and it also represented a compromise from the government, which had seldom agreed to more than minimal devolution. Both sides also exchanged prisoners of war for first time. ^[48]

Political changes in the South

Following the elections of 2001, for the first time in Sri Lanka's history, the President and Prime Minister were of two different parties. This co-habitation was extremely uneasy, especially since Prime Minister Wickremasinghe and the UNP favoured a federal solution to the conflict, while hard-line elements within President Kumaratunga's party and other Sinhala nationalist groups allied to her opposed one as they did not trust the LTTE, which continued to levy taxes, strengthen themselves militarily by smuggling in arms and ammunition, recruit child soldiers, and engage in killings of members of rival Tamil groups and government intelligence agents. The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP Sinhalese: එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය (pronounced Eksath Jathika Pakshaya During this time the LTTE also succeeded in setting up a series of vital bases around the Trincomalee (Gokanna) harbour (see Eelam War IV) and the Eastern Province. See also Sri Lankan Civil War Eelam War IV is the name given to the fourth phase of armed conflict between the Sri Lankan military and the separatist Liberation

The talks broke down on April 21, 2003 when the Tamil Tigers announced they were suspending any further talks due to their "displeasure" at the handling of some "critical issues". Among the reasons the Tigers gave were their exclusion from reconstruction talks in Washington DC on 14 April and a more general insinuation that they were not receiving the full economic rewards of peace. They cited the failure, as they saw it, of peace-dividends to transfer to security withdrawals on the ground and the disparity, as they saw it, between the relative calm of the government-held north-east and continuing violence in Tiger-held areas. However the LTTE maintained it was committed to a settlement to the two-decade conflict, but stated that progress had to be made on the ground before the settlement proceeded. ^[54]

On October 31, the LTTE issued its own peace proposal, calling for an Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA). The ISGA would be fully controlled by the LTTE and would have broad powers in the north and east. (see the Full text of the proposals) This provoked a strong backlash among the hardline elements in the South, who accused Prime Minister Wickremasinghe of handing the north and east to the LTTE. Under pressure from within her own party to take action, Kumaratunga declared a state of emergency and took three key government ministries, the Ministry of Mass Media, the Interior Ministry and the crucial Defense Ministry. ^[55] She then formed an alliance with the JVP, called the United People's Freedom Alliance, opposed to the ISGA and advocating a harder line on the LTTE, and called for fresh elections. The United People's Freedom Alliance is a political alliance in Sri Lanka. The elections, held on April 8, 2004, resulted in victory for the UPFA with Mahinda Rajapakse appointed as Prime Minister. Parliamentary elections were held in Sri Lanka on 2 April 2004. Percy Mahinda Rajapaksa (commonly known as Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sinhala මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ; maˈhində ˈraːjəˌpakʂə born November Initial fears of a resumption of the conflict were proved unfounded when the new government expressed its desire to continue the peace process and find a negotiated settlement to the conflict.

Split of the LTTE

Meanwhile, there was a major fracturing between the northern and eastern wings of the LTTE. Colonel Karuna, the Eastern commander of the LTTE and one of Prabakaran's trusted lieutenants, pulled 5,000 eastern cadres out of the LTTE, claiming insufficient resources and power were being given to Tamils of the eastern part of the island. Colonel Karuna Amman is the Nom de guerre of Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan (born 1966 the President of the TMVP ( TamilEela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal It was the biggest expression of dissension in the history of the LTTE and a civil war within the LTTE seemed imminent. After the parliamentary elections, brief fighting south of Trincomalee (Gokanna) led to a rapid retreat and capitulation of Karuna's group, their leaders eventually going into hiding including Karuna himself, who was helped to escape by Seyed Ali Zahir Moulana, a powerful politician from the ruling party. Seyed Ali Zahir Moulana (born June 25, 1956) is a popular Sri Lankan politician However the "Karuna faction" maintains a significant presence in the east and continues to launch attacks against the LTTE. ^[56] The LTTE accuses the army of covertly backing the breakaway group, which subsequently formed a political party named the TamilEela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) and hopes to contest in future elections. Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP ( தமிழ் மக்கள் விடுதலைப்புலிகள், Tamil Peoples Liberation Tigers) also

The ceasefire largely held through all this turmoil, with over a 3000 infractions by the LTTE and some 300 by the SLA recorded by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) by 2005^[57]. The situation was further complicated by allegations that both sides were carrying out covert operations against each other. The government claimed that the LTTE was killing political opponents, recruiting children, importing arms, and killing government security and intelligence officers. The rebels accused the government of supporting paramilitary groups against them, especially the Karuna group.

Tsunami and aftermath

On December 26, 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami hit Sri Lanka, killing more than 30,000 people, and leaving many more homeless. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea Earthquake that occurred at 005853 UTC on December 26 2004 with an Epicentre off the west coast of Aid poured in from donor countries, but disagreements arose instantly over how it should be distributed to the Tamil regions under LTTE control. By June 24, the government and LTTE agreed on the Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS), but it received sharp criticism from Muslims and from the JVP, who left the government in protest. The legality of P-TOMS was also challenged in the courts. President Kumaratunga eventually had to scrap P-TOMS, which led to widespread criticism that sufficient aid was not reaching the north and east of the country. However, immediately following the tsunami there was a marked decrease in violence in the north.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, a Tamil who was highly respected by foreign diplomats and who had been sharply critical of the LTTE, was assassinated at his home on August 12, 2005, allegedly by an LTTE sniper. Sri Lankabhimanya Lakshman Kadirgamar PC ( April 12, 1932 &ndash August 12, 2005) was a Sri Lankan Diplomat Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[58] His assassination led to the marginalization of the LTTE from the international community, and is thought to be the instant when the LTTE lost much of its sympathy in the eyes of foreign nations. The silence of the international community when the Sri Lankan government took military action against the LTTE in 2006, when the latter closed the Mavil Oya (Mavil aru) sluice, violating the ceasefire agreement, has been attributed to the LTTE's assassination of Kadirgamar.

Further political change occurred when the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka declared President Kumaratunga's second and final term over and ordered her to hold fresh presidential elections. The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka is the highest court of the nation of Sri Lanka. The main candidates for the election, which was held in November, were the UNF candidate, former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, who advocated the reopening of talks with the LTTE, and the UPFA candidate, Prime Minister Rajapaksa, who called for a tougher line against the LTTE and a renegotiation of the ceasefire. Presidential elections in Sri Lanka were held on 17 November 2005. The LTTE openly called for a boycott of the election by the Tamils. A boycott is a form of Consumer activism involving the act of voluntarily abstaining from using buying or dealing with someone or some other organization as an expression of Believing the Tamils were getting ready to vote in large numbers, the LTTE used violence and intimidation to prevent a vast number of Tamils from voting. Many of them were expected to vote for Wickremasinghe, and the loss of their votes proved fatal to his chances as Rajapakse achieved a narrow win. Despite being seen as a hardliner, Rajapaksa promised to pursue peace and restart talks with the rebels.

Following the election, the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran stated in his annual address that the Tigers would "renew their struggle" in 2006 if the government did not take serious moves toward peace. Velupillai Prabhakaran (வேலுப்பிள்ளை பிரபாகரன் born November 26, 1954) also known informally as Thambi (தம்பி

Resumption of hostilities

Main article: Eelam War IV

Just days after Prabhakaran's speech, a new round of violence erupted. See also Sri Lankan Civil War Eelam War IV is the name given to the fourth phase of armed conflict between the Sri Lankan military and the separatist Liberation Beginning in December 2005, there was increased guerrilla activity to the northeast, including Claymore mine attacks which killed 150 government troops,^[59] clashes between the Sea Tigers and the Sri Lanka navy, and the killings of sympathizers on both sides including Taraki Sivaram, a pro-LTTE journalist, and Joseph Pararajasingham, a pro-LTTE MP. The M18A1 Claymore is a directional Anti-personnel mine used by the U The Sea Tigers is the naval force of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, founded in 1984 Taraki Sivaram or Dharmeratnam Sivaram ( 11 August, 1959 &ndash 28 April, 2005) was a popular Tamil journalist Joseph Pararajasingham ( November 27 1934 - December 25, 2005) was a Sri Lankan Member of Parliament

Beginning of the year 2008 the civil war trend turned on civilian targets, with commuter buses and train bombings carried out in most parts of the country^[60] , including a series of attacks against commuters in and around Colombo^[61]. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

Talks and further violence

In light of this violence, the co-chairs of the Tokyo Donor conference called on both parties to return to the negotiating table. officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. The co-chairs — the United States in particular — were heavily critical of the violence perpetrated by the LTTE. US State Department officials, as well as the US ambassador to Sri Lanka, gave warnings to the Tigers claiming a return to hostilities would mean that the Tigers would face a "more capable and more determined" Sri Lankan military. ^[62]While the talks were going on there was violence targeted towards civilians such as massacre of 5 Tamil students on January 2, 2006 in Trincomalee when high school students playing by the beach were briefly detained and then shot dead. The incident referred to as Trincomalee massacre in 2006 happened when five(5 Minority Sri Lankan Tamil high school students playing by the beach were Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Trincomalee (திருகோணமலை Tirukōṇamalai තිරිකුණාමළය Tirikūṇamaḷaya is a district a bay and a port city on the northeast coast of ^[63][64]

In a last-minute effort to salvage an agreement between the parties, the Norwegian special envoy Erik Solheim and the LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingham arrived in the island. Erik Solheim (born January 18, 1955 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian politician for the Socialist Left Party (SV The parties severely disagreed on the location of the talks; however, continued efforts produced a breakthrough when both parties agreed on February 7, 2006, that new talks could be held in Geneva, Switzerland on February 22 and February 23. Events 457 - Leo I becomes emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 1074 - Battle of Montesarchio in which the Prince Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Geneva (Genève is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French -speaking Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable These talks were reported to have gone "above expectations", with both the government and the LTTE agreeing to curb the violence and to hold further talks on April 19-21. ^[65]

During the weeks after the talks, there was a significant decrease in violence. However the LTTE resumed attacks against the military in April beginning with a Claymore anti-personnel mine attack on military vehicles which killed 10 navy sailors on April 11th. The term claymore (ˈkleɪmɔr or /kleɪˈmɔr/ from Scottish Gaelic claidheamh mòr, "great sword" may refer to one of two distinct types The following day, coordinated bombings by rebels and rioting in the north-eastern part of the country left 16 dead. First, a Claymore anti-personnel mine exploded in Trincomalee, killing two policemen in their vehicle. Trincomalee (திருகோணமலை Tirukōṇamalai තිරිකුණාමළය Tirikūṇamaḷaya is a district a bay and a port city on the northeast coast of Another blast, set off in a crowded vegetable market, killed one soldier and some civilians. Ensuing rioting by civilians left more than a dozen dead. ^[66] Responsibility for these attacks was claimed by an organisation called the Upsurging People's Force, which the military accused of being a front for the LTTE. The Upsurging People's Force (பொங்கி எழும் மக்கள் படை is a militant group in Sri Lanka.

In light of this violence, the LTTE called for a postponement of the Geneva talks until April 24-25, and the government initially agreed to this. Following negotiations, both the government and the rebels agreed to have a civilian vessel transport the regional LTTE leaders with international truce monitors on April 16, which involved crossing government-controlled territory. However, the climate shifted drastically when the Tamil Tigers canceled the meeting, claiming not to have agreed to a naval escort. According to the SLMM, the Tamil rebels had previously agreed to the escort. This led to Helen Olafsdottir, spokesperson for the SLMM saying "It was part of the agreement. The rebels should have read the clauses carefully. We are frustrated. "^[67]

On April 20, 2006, the LTTE officially pulled out of peace talks indefinitely. While they stated that transportation issues had prevented them from meeting their regional leaders, some analysts and the international community held a deep skepticism, seeing the transportation issue as a delaying tactic by the LTTE in order to avoid attending peace talks in Geneva. ^[68]

Violence continued to spiral and on April 23, 2006, six Sinhalese rice farmers were massacred in their paddy fields by suspected LTTE cadres in the Trincomalee district. Gomarankadawala is a tiny village in the Trincomalee District of Sri Lanka, where 6 Sinhalese civilians were gunned down by suspected LTTE cadres Trincomalee (திருகோணமலை Tirukōṇamalai තිරිකුණාමළය Tirikūṇamaḷaya is a district a bay and a port city on the northeast coast of ^[69] The following day, two suspected Tamil Tiger rebels were shot dead in Batticaloa when caught planting mines after rebels reportedly hacked a young mother to death and kidnapped her infant. Batticaloa (மட்டக்களப்பு in Tamil මඩකළපුව in Sinhala) is the provincial capital of the eastern province of Sri Lanka ^[70]

After LTTE launched a suicide assault on a naval convoy in which 18 sailors died, the Allaipiddy massacre of May 13, 2006 happened in which 13 minority Tamil civilians were killed in separate incidents in three villages in the islet of Kayts (Uruthota) in northern Sri Lank. The Allaipiddy massacre or Allaipiddy murders refers to the May 13, 2006 killing of 13 minority Tamil civilians in separate incidents in Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Sri Lankan Tamil people ( or Ceylon Tamils, are an Ethnic group native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka who predominantly speak There are number of islands around Sri Lanka. The most prominent islets are east of the Jaffna Peninsula in Northern Province ^[71] International condemnation against the LTTE skyrocketed following the attempted assassination of the commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka by a pregnant LTTE Black Tiger suicide bomber Anoja Kugenthirasah, who blew herself up at the Sri Lankan Army headquarters in the capital, Colombo. Lt Gen Sarath Fonseka RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, rcds psc, SLSR is a Sri Lankan Army officer who has served throughout The Black Tigers are special wing of the LTTE who compose of specially selected and trained LTTE soldiers whose missions give them little chance of survival This article is about suicide attacks for political and/or military reasons The Sri Lanka Army is the oldest and largest of the three armed services of Sri Lanka and is responsible for overseeing land-based military and Colombo ( Sinhala:, ˈkoləmbə Tamil: கொழும்பு is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. Lt. Gen. Fonseka and twenty-seven others were injured, while ten people were killed in the attack. For the first time since the 2001 ceasefire, the Sri Lanka Air Force carried out aerial assaults on rebel positions in the north-eastern part of the island nation in retaliation for the attack. ^[72]

This attack, along with the assassination of Lakshman Kadiragamar a year earlier and an unsuccessful attack against a naval vessel carrying 710 unarmed security force personnel on holiday, proved the catalysts as the European Union decided to proscribe the LTTE as a terrorist organisation on May 19, 2006. Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and It resulted in the freezing of LTTE assets in the member nations of the EU, and put an end to its efforts to raise funds its terror campaign in Sri Lanka. In a statement, the European Parliament said that the LTTE did not represent all the Tamils and called on it to "allow for political pluralism and alternate democratic voices in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka". The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU ^[73]

As the north and east of the country continued to be rocked by attacks, new talks were scheduled in Oslo, Norway, between June 8-9. Delegations from both sides arrived in Oslo, but the talks were canceled when the LTTE refused to meet directly with the government delegation claiming its fighters were not been allowed safe passage to travel to the talks. Norwegian mediator Erik Solheim told journalists that the LTTE should take direct responsibility for the collapse of the talks. ^[74]

Further violence followed, including the Vankalai massacre in which family of four minority Sri Lankan Tamils from the village of Vankalai in the district of Mannar in Sri Lanka on June 8, 2006 were tortured and killed. The Vankalai massacre was a massacre of a family of four minority Sri Lankan Tamils from the village of Vankalai in Mannar District, Sri Lanka Sri Lankan Tamil people ( or Ceylon Tamils, are an Ethnic group native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka who predominantly speak Vankalai or Vangalai (வங்காலை is a predominantly fishing and farming village situated in Mannar District of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka Mannar may refer to Mannar District a District in Sri Lanka Mannar Island an Island in Sri lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Both the mother and the nine year old daughter were allegedly raped before being killed. The gory images of the corpses published by the pro rebel Tamilnet news site created controversy in Sri Lanka and abroad. TamilNet is a news website that provides news and feature articles on current affairs in Sri Lanka, specifically related to the ongoing Sri Lankan Civil War. The Sri Lankan army and Tamil Tiger rebels have blamed each other for the killings. "LTTE" redirects here For the Led Zeppelin bootleg see Listen to This Eddie. ^{[75][76][77][78][79][80]}. There was also the Kebithigollewa massacre on June 15, 2006 in which the LTTE attacked a bus killing at least 64 Sinhalese civilians and prompting more air strikes by the Air Force,^[81] and the assassination of Sri Lankas third highest-ranking army officer and Deputy Chief of Staff General Parami Kulatunga on June 26 by an LTTE suicide bomber. See also List of attacks attributed to the LTTE The Kebithigollewa massacre occurred on June 15, 2006 when 60 people were killed as a result of Lieutenant General Parami Sugandika Bandara Kulatunga RSP, VSV, USP, GW (In Sinhalese: පාරමී සුගන්ධිකා ^[82] These events led the SLMM to question whether a ceasefire could still be said to exist. The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission ( SLMM) was established on 22 February 2002 under the terms of a ceasefire agreement signed by the Government of Sri ^[83] However most analysts continued to believe that the return to full-scale war was unlikely and the "low-intensity conflict" would continue. ^[82]

On January 8, 2008 D. M. Dassanayake non-cabinet Minister of Nation Building and MP was killed in a road side bombing just out side Colombo. Dassanayake Mudiyanselage Dassanayake ( April 29, 1953 &ndash January 8, 2008) was a Sri Lanka politician from the Puttalam District

Mavil Oya (Mavil Aru) Water dispute

A new crisis leading to the first large-scale fighting since signing of the ceasefire occurred when the LTTE closed the sluice gates of the Mavil Oya (Mavil Aru) reservoir on July 21 and cut the water supply to 15,000 villages in government controlled areas. A sluice is a water channel that is controlled at its head by a gate Mavil Aru (Mahaweli Oya is a waterway in Sri Lanka that supplies water to some regions of eastern Sri Lanka A reservoir is most broadly a place or hollow vessel where Fluid is kept in Reserve, for later use Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Water supply is the process of self-provision or provision by third parties of water of various qualities to different users ^[84] After initial negotiations and efforts by the SLMM to open the gates failed, the Air Force attacked LTTE positions on July 26, and ground troops began an operation to open the gate. Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus ^[85]

The sluice gates were eventually reopened on August 8, with conflicting reports as to who actually opened them. Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Initially, the SLMM claimed that they managed to persuade the LTTE to lift the waterway blockade conditionally. ^[86] However a government spokesman said that "utilities could not be used as bargaining tools" by the rebels^[84] and government forces launched fresh attacks on LTTE positions around the reservoir. These attacks prompted condemnation from SLMM Chief of Staff, who stated "(The government) have the information that the LTTE has made this offer. " "It is quite obvious they are not interested in water. They are interested in something else. "^[84] The LTTE then claimed they opened the sluice gates "on humanitarian grounds" although this was disputed by military correspondents, who stated the water began flowing immediately after the security forces carried out a precise bombing of the Mavil Aru anicut. ^[87] Eventually, following heavy fighting with the rebels, government troops gained full control of the Mavil Aru reservoir on August 15. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed ^[88]

LTTE offensives in Muttur & Jaffna

As fierce fighting was ongoing in the vicinity of (Mavil Oya) Mavil Aru, the violence spread to Gokanna (Trincomalee), where the LTTE launched an attack on a crucial Sri Lanka Navy base,^[86] and to the strategic government controlled coastal town of Muttur in early August, resulting in the deaths of at least 30 civilians and displacing 25,000 residents of the area. ^[89] The clashes erupted on August 2, 2006 when the LTTE launched a heavy artillery attack on Muttur^[90] and then moved in, gaining control of some parts of the town. Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the ^[91] The military retaliated, and reestablished full control over the town by August 5, killing over 150 LTTE cadres in heavy fighting. Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia. ^[90]

Soon afterwards, 17 persons working for the International French charity Action Against Hunger (ACF) in Mooduthara (Muthur), were found executed. Action Against Hunger (known internationally as Action Contre la Faim, or ACF) is an international relief and development organization committed to saving the lives The 2006 Trincomalee massacre of NGO workers, also known as the Muttur massacre, took place on August 4 or 5 2006 when 17 employees of the French INGO They were found lying face down on the floor of their office, with bullet wounds, still wearing their clearly marked T-shirts indicating they were international humanitarian workers. The murders prompted widespread international condemnation. ^[92] The SLMM claimed that the government was behind the attack,^[93] but the government denied the allegation calling it "pathetic and biased", and stated that the SLMM had "no right to make such a statement because they are not professionals in autopsy or post-mortem"^[94] An official investigation launched by the government with the aid of international forensic experts is currently ongoing. ^[95]

Meanwhile, in the north of the country, some of the bloodiest fighting since 2001 took place after the LTTE launched massive attacks on Sri Lanka Army defence lines in the Jaffna peninsula on August 11. The Sri Lanka Army is the oldest and largest of the three armed services of Sri Lanka and is responsible for overseeing land-based military and Events 2492 BC - Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation The LTTE used a force of 400 to 500 fighters in the attacks which consisted of land and amphibious assaults, and also fired a barrage of artillery at government positions, including the key military airbase at Paluyaala (Palaly). ^[96] Initially, the Tigers broke through army defense lines around Muhamalai (Mahakanda), and advanced further north,^[97] but they were halted after 10 hours of fierce fighting. Isolated battles continued over the next few days, but the LTTE was forced to give up its offensive due to heavy casualties. ^[98] The LTTE is estimated to have lost over 250^[98] cadres in the operation, while 90 Sri Lankan soldiers and sailors were also killed. ^[99]

Chencholai Air strike

As ground battles were ongoing in the north and the east of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Air Force carried out an air strike against a facility in the rebel held Mullaitivu area, killing a number of Tamil girls. Chencholai bombing is a disputed event in the Sri Lankan civil war. Although the LTTE claimed 61 girls were killed, the SLMM stated they were able to count just 19 bodies. ^[100] The government stated that it was an LTTE training facility and that the children were LTTE child soldiers,^[101] although the LTTE claimed the victims were schoolgirls attending a course on first aid at an orphanage. ^[101]

On the same day, a convoy carrying the Pakistani High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Bashir Wali Mohamed was attacked by a claymore antipersonnel mine concealed within an auto rickshaw. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking special executive positions held by a commission of appointment The M18A1 Claymore is a directional Anti-personnel mine used by the U An auto rickshaw or tuk tuk ( auto autorick or rickshaw in popular parlance is a Motor vehicle that is one of the chief The High Commissioner escaped unhurt, but seven people were killed and a further seventeen injured in the blast. ^[102] No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Sri Lankan government blamed the LTTE. The Pakistani High Commissioner,Bashir Wali Mohamed, claimed that India was strongly believed to have carried it out,^[103] in order to intimidate Pakistan, which is one of the main suppliers of military equipment to the Sri Lankan government. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking special executive positions held by a commission of appointment ^[103]

Fall of Sampur

Since the resumption of violence, concerns were mounting among the military establishment that the strategically crucial^[104] Sri Lanka Navy base in Trinconmalee was under grave threat from LTTE gun positions located in and around Sampur, which lies across the Koddiyar Bay from Trincomalee. ^[105][106] Artillery fired from LTTE bases in the area could potentially cripple the naval base, bringing it to a complete standstill and therefore cutting the only military supply chain to Jaffna. All movements of naval vessels were also under the constant surveillance of the LTTE. ^[105] These fears were backed up by a United States military advisory team which visited the island in 2005.

Following the clashes in Mavil Aru (Mavil Oya) and Muttur (Mooduthara), the LTTE had intensified attacks targeting the naval base in Trincomalee (Gokanna),^[106] and in a speech on August 21, Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse made clear the government intentions were to neutralize the LTTE threat from Sampur. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. ^[106] On August 28, the Sri Lankan military launched an assault to retake the LTTE camps in Sampur and the adjoining Kaddaiparichchan (Gaeta-bara-hena)and Thoppur (Thupapura) areas. Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital This led the LTTE to declare that if the offensive continued, the ceasefire would be officially over.

After steady progress, Sri Lankan security forces led by Brigade Commander Sarath Wijesinghe^[107] re-captured Sampur (Somapura) from the LTTE on September 4, and began to establish military bases there,^[108] as the LTTE admitted defeat and stated their cadres "withdrew" from the strategically important town. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself ^[109] It marked the first significant territorial change of hands since the signing of the ceasefire agreement in 2002. ^[110] The Sri Lankan Military estimated that 33 personnel were killed in the offensive, along with over 200 LTTE cadres. ^[107]

LTTE retaliation and further peace talks

The LTTE struck back in October. First, they killed nearly 130 soldiers in a fierce battle at Muhamalai (Mahakanda), the crossing-point between government and LTTE controlled area in the north of the country. ^[111] Just days later, a suspected LTTE suicide bomber struck a naval convoy in Habaraba, in the center of the country killing about 100 sailors who were returning home on leave. The 2006 Digampathana truck bombing, also known as Habarana massacre, was a suicide bombing carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam against ^[112][113] It was the deadliest suicide attack in the history of the conflict. ^[114]

Two days later, LTTE Sea Tiger cadres launched an attack against the Dakshina naval base in the sothern port city of Galle. Galle (ගාල්ල in Sinhala; காலி in Tamil) (pronounced as one syllable in English gɔːl the same as "Gaul" and in Sinhalese It was the farthest south any major LTTE attack had taken place, and involved 15 LTTE cadres who arrived in five suicide boats. The attack was repulsed by the government, and the damage to the naval base was minimum. All 15 LTTE suicide cadres are believed to have died in the attack, along with one Sri Lanka Navy sailor. ^[115]

Despite these incidents, both parties agreed to unconditionally attend peace talks in Geneva on October 28-29. ^[116] However the peace talks broke down due to disagreements over the reopening of the key A9 highway, which is the link between Jaffna and government controlled areas in the south. While the LTTE wanted the highway, which was closed following fierce battles in August, to be reopened, the government refused, stating the LTTE would use it to collect tax from people passing through and would use it to launch further offenses against government troops. ^[117]

Following the dawn of the new year, suspected LTTE cadres carried out two bus bombings in the south of the country, killing 21 civilians. "LTTE" redirects here For the Led Zeppelin bootleg see Listen to This Eddie. News reports stated that the attacks bore all the hallmarks of an LTTE attack. ^[118] The Sri Lankan government condemned the attacks and blamed the LTTE for carrying them out,^[119] although the LTTE denied any involvement. Iqbal Athas, an analyst for Jane's Defence Weekly commented that the LTTE's targeting of civilians was a cause for concern, and that further attacks against civilians couldn't be ruled out. ^[120] Other analysts too expressed fears that LTTE attacks, which had largely been confined to military and political targets during the ceasefire period, may now increasingly target civilians as in earlier stages of a conflict.

Government offensive in the East

Main article: Eastern Theater of Eelam War IV

In December 2006, the Commander of the Army and other senior government officials expressed their plans to initially drive the LTTE out of the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka, and then use the full strength of the military to defeat the LTTE in the North of the country. See also Eelam War IV The Eastern Theater of Eelam War IV, the warfare started in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka on July 21 2006 Eastern Province ( Tamil: கிழக்கு மாகாணம் Sinhala: Negenahira Palata) is a province of Sri Lanka. ^[85] Among the reasons cited by the military for the offensives in the east were the need to "free the civilians in the area from the LTTE", who the military stated was firing artillery towards civilian settlements and were using 35,000 people as human shields. ^[121] These claims were later backed by the civilians who told reporters that they were held by force by the Tamil Tigers. ^[122] On November 7, 2006 in the midst of conflicting claims over 45 Tamil civilains were killed in what is known as the Vaharai bombing. Events 1492 - The Ensisheim Meteorite the oldest Meteorite with a known date of impact strikes the Earth around noon in a Wheat Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Vaharai bombing is a disputed event in the Sri Lankan civil war.

Subsequently, the Army began an offensive against the LTTE on December 8, 2006 in the Batticoloa district with the objective of taking Vakarai, the principle stronghold of the LTTE in the East,^[123] but temporarily aborted it after a week of fighting due to the large number of civilians in the area and the difficulty in conducting combat operations due to the ongoing Monsoon rain. Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. This article refers to the Lithuanian-American newspaper for Vaharai peninsula in eastern Sri Lanka see Vaharai Bombing. A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind which lasts for several months ^[124] Over the next few weeks, an estimated 20,000 civilians fled from Vaakare to Government controlled areas fearing the imminent assault. The Army launched a new offensive in mid January, and Vaakarr fell to the advancing troops on January 19, 2007. While the offensive in the east was ongoing the LTTE and others accused the government of murdering 15 civilains in the Padahuthurai bombing on January 02, 2007 when the Sri Lanka Air Force bombed what they claimed to be rebel LTTE naval base in Illuppaikadavai in Northern Sri Lanka. The Padahuthurai bombing or Illuppaikadavai bombing happened on January 02, 2007 when the Sri Lanka Air Force bombed what they claimed to be Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Sri Lanka Air Force ( SLAF) is the aerial defence division and the youngest of the Sri Lankan Tri Forces. "LTTE" redirects here For the Led Zeppelin bootleg see Listen to This Eddie. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island ^[125][126] The Army launched assaults from three different directions, and the LTTE and Defence Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella announced that "The people of Vaakare have been liberated from the clutches of the terrorists". The loss of Vaakare (Vakarai) has been predicted to cut off supply routes of the northern Tigers to their cadres in the east, thus weakening the Tigers' already diminishing grip on the east. ^[127][128]

As the military offensive was ongoing, the LTTE continued to carry out attacks against civilians in government held territory. On April 1, 2007, the Sri Lankan military accused the LTTE of killing six Sinhalese tsunami aid workers in the Eastern district of Batticaloa. ^[129][130] The next day, suspected LTTE cadres set off a bomb abord a civilian bus in Ampara which killing seventeen people, including three children. ^[131][132]

Troops mostly operating in small groups of Special Forces and Commando units began a new operation in February^[133] to clear the last remaining LTTE cadres from the Eastern Province. As part of the operation, troops captured the a key LTTE base in Gokatugolla (Kokkadicholai) on March 28th,^[134] and the strategic A5 highway on April 12, bringing the entire highway under government control for the first time in 15 years. Kokkadichcholai (கொக்கட்டிச்சோலை is a village in Batticaloa District within the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. ^[135] This meant the LTTE's presence in the east was reduced to 140 square kilometer pocket of jungle land in the Thoppigala area north-west of Madakalapuva (Batticaloa). The offensive had left nine soldiers dead along with 184 Tiger cadres, with no civilian casualties, according to military estimates. ^[133]

See also: Operation Definite Victory

Government offensive in the North. Operation Definite Victory ( Sinhala: නියතයිි ජය was a military operation launched by Sri Lankan Special Task Force commandos on Targeting the leadership of LTTE

Main article: Battle of the Forward Defence Lines

Sporadic fighting in the North has been going on for months, but the intensity of the clashes has increased since September 2007. See also Northern Theater of Eelam War IV The Battle of the Forward Defence Lines is an ongoing armed conflict in northern Sri Lanka between the Military During clashes in the Forward Defence Lines, separating their forces, both sides exchange heavy artillery fire, after which military incursions follow. ^[136] By December 22, 2007 the LTTE defences at Uyilankulama and Thampanai were lost to advancing troops of the Sri Lanka Army. ^[137] On December 29, 2007 the Army overran the LTTE stronghold at Parappakandal, Mannar. ^{[138] [139]}

In an interview with the 'Sunday Observer' the Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka said that the Army has occupied the LTTE's Forward Defence Lines and surrounded the Wanni LTTE bases from all directions. He also said that there are around 3,000 Tigers remaining and that the military targets to annihilate them within the first six months of the next year. ^[140] A day later there were less optimistic statements by Army, Air Force and Navy Commanders. The Army is to face in the Wanni an estimated 5,000 Tiger cadres. The Commander of the Army has intention of shifting the current battles in the Forward Defence Lines to a decisive phase in August 2008. In Commanders' view, it is quite possible to defeat the LTTE in 2008. ^[14]

The military of Sri Lanka claims that the leader of the LTTE Velupillai Prabhakaran was seriously injured during air strikes carried out by the Sri Lanka Air Force on a bunker complex in Jayanthinagar on November 26, 2007. The Military of Sri Lanka consists of Three Branches which are the Army, Navy, Air Force which comes under the Ministry of Defence. Velupillai Prabhakaran (வேலுப்பிள்ளை பிரபாகரன் born November 26, 1954) also known informally as Thambi (தம்பி The Sri Lanka Air Force ( SLAF) is the aerial defence division and the youngest of the Sri Lankan Tri Forces. ^[141] Earlier, on November 2, 2007 S. P. Thamilselvan, who was the head of the rebels' political wing, was killed during another government air raid. Suppayya Paramu Tamilselvan, commonly known as S P Tamilselvan, (sometimes transscribed as "Tamilchelvan" was the leader of the political wing of the Liberation ^[142] The Sri Lanka Air Force has openly vowed to destroy the entire leadership of the LTTE. ^[14] On January 5, 2008 Col. Charles, Head of LTTE Military Intelligence, was killed in claymore ambush by Sri Lanka Army Deep Penetration Unit. ^{[143] [144]}

Sri Lanka pulls out of Ceasefire

On January 2, 2008 the Sri Lankan government officially pulled out of the Ceasefire Agreement. ^[145] This was amidst the demands of the defense secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on December 29, 2007. Lieutenant Colonel (Ret Nandasena Gotabhaya Rajapaksa RWP, RSP, GR is the current Permanent ^[146] Donor countries such as the United States^[147], Canada^[148], and Norway^[149] have shown deep regrets on this decision by the Sri Lankan government. Neighboring India has also shown its dismay of Sri Lanka's abrogation of the ceasefire. ^[150].

Earlier peace talks to modifiy the CFA resulted in the LTTE diplomats refusing to discuss the matter in 2003. The LTTE is thought to have illegally landed up to ten shipments of ammunition and arms during the ceasefire period.

On January 10, 2008 the LTTE formally responsed with the statement from the new head of the Tigers' political wing, B. Nadesan. According to him, the LTTE is shocked and disappointed, since the Government of Sri Lanka has unilaterally withdrawn from the ceasefire agreement without any justifications. It is further stated that even now the LTTE is ready to implement every clause of the CFA agreement and respect it one hundred percent. The LTTE claimed that, taking into account the acts of the Government, the international community should immediately remove the bans it has placed on the LTTE. ^{[151] [152]}

185 Sri Lankan soldiers were killed April 23, 2008 when troops attempted to advance toward the Kilinochchi-stronghold of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the Wanni region. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Killinochchi (, கிளிநொச்சி scientific transliteration Kilinocci) is a small city in the Kilinochchi District, part of the "LTTE" redirects here For the Led Zeppelin bootleg see Listen to This Eddie. The incident was a setback to military efforts to weaken the rebel-organsiation. Government leaders and military commanders vowed early 2008 to "eliminate" the rebels by the end of 2008, but later extended the deadline into 2009. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common This article is about the year For the film see 2009 Lost Memories. Until April 23, 2008, the heavy fighting had remained focused in the town of Mannar and the area of Weli Oya. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Mannar may refer to Mannar District a District in Sri Lanka Mannar Island an Island in Sri lanka ^[153]

On May 9, 2008 the town of Adampan was captured by Sri Lankan Army. ^[154]

See also

• List of attacks attributed to the LTTE
• Notable assassinations of the Sri Lankan Civil War
• List of civil wars
• Tamil Eelam
• Self-determination
• Ongoing conflicts

References

Bibliography

• Balasingham, Adele: The Will to Freedom - An Inside View of Tamil Resistance. Fairmax Publishing Ltd, 2nd ed. 2003, ISBN 1-903679-03-6.
• Dissanayaka, T. D. S. A. : War or Peace in Sri Lanka, Volume II. Swastika (Pvt. ) Ltd. , Colombo 1998.
• Dixit, J. N. : Assignment Colombo, ISBN 81-220-0499-7. (Dixit was the Indian High Commissioner during the 1980s negotiations that led to the IPKF presence. )
• Gamage, S. and Watson, I. B. : Conflict and Community in Contemporary Sri Lanka. Sage, New Delhi 1999.
• Gamage, S. : Ethnic Conflict, State Reform and Nation Building in Sri Lanka: Analysis of the Context and Suggestions for a Settlement, in: Neelsen, John P. and Malik, Dipak: "Crises of State and Nation: South Asian States between Nation Building and Fragmentation", Manohar, New Delhi (forthcoming).
• Hoole, R. , Somasundaram, D. , Sritharan K. , and Thiranagama, R. The Broken Palmyra - The Tamil Crisis in Sri Lanka: An Inside Account. The Sri Lanka Studies Institute, Claremont 1990. (Also available online[2]. )
• Johnson, Robert: A Region in Turmoil. Reaktion, New York and London 2005. (Covers Sri Lanka and its regional context. )
• Narayan Swamy, M. R. : Tigers of Lanka: from Boys to Guerrillas. Konark Publishers; 3rd ed. 2002, ISBN 81-220-0631-0.
• Rajasinghan, K. T. : Sri Lanka: The Untold Story. 2001-2002. (Serialised in Asia Times Online [3]).
• War and Peace in Sri Lanka: With a Post-Accord Report From Jaffna. ISBN-10: 9552600014/ISBN-13: 978-9552600012, Institute of Fundamental Studies, Sri Lanka; 1 edition (October 1, 1987), By Rohan Gunaratna. Rohan Gunaratna is an international Terrorism Expert. He is the head of the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR at Nanyang
• Indian intervention in Sri Lanka: The role of India's intelligence agencies. ISBN-10:9559519905/ISBN-13: 978-9559519904, South Asian Network on Conflict Research (1993), By Rohan Gunaratna. Rohan Gunaratna is an international Terrorism Expert. He is the head of the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR at Nanyang

External links

Official websites

• Ministry of Defence, Sri Lanka
• Sri Lanka Navy
• Government of Sri Lanka Peace Secretariat
• LTTE Peace Secretariat
• Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission

Independent reports and texts

• Peace and Conflict Timeline (PACT) - an interactive timeline of the Sri Lankan conflict
• Texts of key agreements in the peace process and an analysis of the process by Conciliation Resources
• Report on the Sri Lankan peace process by Asiafoundation
• hWeb - Sri Lanka’s recent history of ethnic conflict and political crisis originates from its colonial legacy
• « Return to War: Human Rights Under Siege » , Human Rights Watch report (August 2007)

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