43+D.+Identify+the+sources+of+ethnic+and+religious+conflicts+in+the+following+nations+and+regions.+D.+Sri+Lanka

Editors: Michelle and Ryan In Green(e) book pg. 489 **43 Identify the sources of ethnic and religious conflicts in the following nations and regions. D. Sri Lanka﻿﻿:** Sri Lanka is one of the major oil countries, even though it is a very small island off the coast of the southern Indian area.

Sri Lanka, (Ceylon) is a small island 30 miles off the coast of the southern India province of Tamil Nadu.  It is divided into two groups, Tamils the wealthy minority, and Sinhalese, the majority of Sri Lanka that are lower class. Conflicts in Sri Lanka are caused mainly by wars, and the small minority of people. Since independence from Britain in 1948, the primary focus of the armed forces has been on internal security, due to three major insurgencies, including a 30 year long conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil which was named a Terrorist organization by 32 countries. ==== Sri Lanka is host to one of the world's most violent, brutal and enduring wars. Tamils (a mainly Hindu 18% minority)  led by Velupillai Pirabakaran, and the government fought in the Eelam war over ethnic differences. The Sri Lankan civil war was a war that began in 1983 and ended last year. The Tamil Tigers wanted their own state in the Northeastern part of the country. In 2001 a ceasefire was called but the war was resumed in 2005 and still continued on.The Indian army finally had to step in, after 30 years, to bring peace. The government won the war that lasted nearly 30 years and consumed the lives of over 80,000 people. The war left 300,000 people displaced and more than 100,000 people killed, mostly civilians. 214,227 people were returned to their place of origin after a long wait. Finally, on May 17, 2009, the Tamil Tigers admitted defeat. ==== ====In between that war, the Tamil minority's mounting resentment toward the Sinhalese majority's monopoly on political and economic power, exacerbated by cultural and religious differences, erupted in bloody violence in 1983. Tamil rebel groups began a civil war to fight for a separate nation. By this time, important aspects of Sri Lankan democracy had been compromised by the previous government. The Cyanide War, in Sri Lanka, lasted from 1973-88 Finally, a small conflict was when: taking advantage of the succeeding spice trade Portugal set up a settlement in Sri Lanka which later led to more conflict. ====

The Sri Lanka Civil war started on July 23, 1983. After a 30 year long military campaign, the Sri Lankan military defeated the Tamil Tigers in May 2009.

Some of the methods used by the Liberation Tigers made qualified them as a terrorist organisation in over 32 countries including the united states.

Sri Lanka, off of India, suffered a civil war and a split into two groups: the Tamils and the Sinhalese.