Civil War in Sri Lanka Over

Hello to you all

What comes next?

Terrorism.

They are a sizeable group which is dissatisfied and was prepared to resort to conventional warfare to achieve their aims. Now that the strategy of conventional military action is closed to them, they will resort to a campaign of terror. They have everything they need to make it happen: willpower, organisation, experience with and access to explosives, support of a significant percentage of the population. The conventional battles may well be over, but the suffering will continue for at least a long while yet.

Its over I would say. Tne LTTE has been decisivly defeated. They no longer have a safe haven to plan their attacks and more importantly the Tamils in SL (not the diaspora) feel they have been defeated. Like Germany in 1945 most military age Tamils are either dead, crippled or in prison.

Al Jassas wrote: Hello Parnell   Withall due respect, Sri Lankan civil war is no where near the Irsih civil disturbances called Irish war. More people were killed in gang land wars in New York in the same period than people in this conflict.

I suspect the Sri Lankan Government has a window of opportunity to make some political concessions. Ultimately if they can at least reduce the reasons for conflict there will be a better chance for peace holding given the general war-weariness around

I have to agree with the last two posts there. I believe that the war, as it can be said to have existed, is now over. The conflict, however, is yet to be resolved. With the constant alleged human rights abuses by the government, and their apparently devotion to winning the conflict militarily, it doesn't seem that Sri Lanka is looking to resolve the divide and may, in fact, be more radical than ever before.

If they do attempt to resolve the situation, however, the war weariness will likely allow a peace to hold, as has been said. If not, it is likely that more subversive, if less organised, warfare is likely to be initiated once more by less weary or satisfied members of the rebels. If this is allowed to happen, it is likely that these pockets of resistance will combine once more to form a new front.

One thing that concerns me is the call from the EU (amongst others) for a probe into possible war crimes.

Sparten wrote: The LTTE is finished and the political efforts in SL would be geared to ensuring that the events of 1983-2009 can never happen again. Why should Sri Lanka after a decisive military victory allow the very things she has fought for near three decade to prevent from coming about? Its like saying after Appomattox Court House that the Union should have accepted continued slavery since that was addressing the root cause of the war

It's really nothing like that. Had the South won, it would be like asking them to abolish slavery anyway. I'm sure we'd all agree that this would be a good thing. In addition, slavery was not really a root cause of the war.

For me, looking at the situation beyond how bloody annoying their zealots here are, I agree with Leonidas and would also like to point at the EU and laugh; what moral authority do those muppets in Brussels have to expect their call for an independent investigation into war crimes to be taken seriously? 

Zagros wrote: For me, looking at the situation beyond how bloody annoying their zealots here are, I agree with Leonidas and would also like to point at the EU and laugh; what moral authority do those muppets in Brussels have to expect their call for an independent investigation into war crimes to be taken seriously?

none what so ever, i don't understand the EU position one bit. This was a state defending itself and doing what needed to be done, a complete victory over enemy that refused to talk or compromise. Fine if the Tigers were reasnable but they werent. People must remeber that sri lankan politicians and innocent bystanders were blown up by human bombers while the peace talks were meant to be on, cant bend over to that. Ghandi's death was the point those guys lost the plot.

The EU can pull its finger out of its ar..  and help sri lanka re-settle the poor Tamil civilians.

Apperently the PRC helped sri lanka where everyone else has failed...