Sri Lanka: Civil War Along Ethno-religious Lines

Abstract

This case study addresses the underlying ethnic and religious tensions behind the Sri Lankan Civil War (1983-2009), a conflict led by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) on behalf of the Hindu Tamil minority against the Sri Lankan government and the Buddhist Sinhalese majority. The core text of the case study investigates four main questions: What are the historical origins of the conflict in Sri Lanka? How were domestic religious forces and identities involved? How important were international religious and political forces? What role did socioeconomic factors play? In addition to the core text, the case study also includes a timeline of key events, a guide to relevant religious organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and government organizations, and a list of recommended further readings.