Sri Lanka’s Civil War and Unresolved Grievances

Sri Lanka's civil war lasted three decades and changed everything. The Liberation Tigers

of Tamil Eelam fought for an independent Tamil state, using guerrilla warfare and pioneering

suicide bombing tactics that later influenced global terror networks. They controlled

territory, ran a de facto government, and even had their own courts and tax system.

The war killed over one hundred thousand people and displaced millions more. When government

forces finally defeated the LTTE in 2009, many thought separatism died with them. But the underlying

issues never disappeared. Tamil communities still face discrimination in employment, land rights,

and political representation. Young Tamils today channel frustrations differently through diaspora activism