by Marcus Papadopoulos
ONE of Asia’s bloodiest and most protracted conflicts could be on the verge of ending.
Last weekend, Sri Lankan government forces captured the last stronghold of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on the Jaffna peninisula. According to Sri Lankan military commanders, the Tamil Tigers have pulled their fighters back to the port of Mullaittivu and are preparing for a final showdown with government troops there.
Since the start of the year, Sri Lankan ground and air forces have been prosecuting a campaign to regain control of the north of the country which has long been the territory of the Tigers – Colombo lost control of the area seven years ago following a Norwegian-brokered ceasefire.
The Sri Lankan military has made spectacular gains during the last two weeks, capturing the Tigers’ capital of Kilinochchi and the historically important military base of Elephant Pass, which is the “gateway” to the Jaffna peninsula.
When Sri Lanka – then known as Ceylon – gained independence from Britain in 1948, the Sinhalese ethnic majority took away many of the advantages that the Tamil minority had enjoyed during colonial times.
Tensions between the Sinhalese and Tamil communities erupted into armed conflict 25 years ago and has claimed the lives of thousands of people.
According to 2007 estimates, 460,000 people, both Tamils and Sinhalese, have become refugees because of the war.
The Tamil Tigers, whose ideology is a mix of nationalism and socialism with the objective of achieving a separate state for the Tamil people, are listed as a terrorist organisation by 32 countries including Britain, India and the United States.
The current fighting is taking place amid the backdrop of accusations against the Sri Lankan government of stifling open debate on the military campaign against the Tigers, especially following the murder of a prominent journalist often critical of Colombo’s handling of the conflict.
