The End of Sri Lanka’s Civil War and the Fall of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE): A Critical Analysis of the Contributed Factors to the Defeat of the LTTE

Abstract

Sri Lanka came to the international limelight through the backdrop of its undesirable war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) that lasted over three decades. The LTTE was formed as a social force, and then it transformed as a leading armed movement to forward their decades-long quest to set up a Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka. The government ended the LTTE’s secessionist struggle in May 2009 after a lengthy and bloody battle. Several national and international factors played a crucial role in ending the civil war sooner. The study used a qualitative method of inquiry to explore the key factors that led to the fall of the LTTE, a vigorous armed movement that attempted to set up a separate state in the Island of Sri Lanka. The findings show that strong political leadership, fortified security forces, implementing sophisticated national security strategies, the split of the LTTE and the global war on terrorism are the major factors that had a significant impact and contributed in the LTTE being defeated in 2009.

India Counterterrorism: India and Pakistan's Lack of Cooperation in Fighting Lashar e-Taiba after Mumbai Attacks 2008

“…When the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from Sri Lanka attacked, India prioritized cooperation with the Sri Lankan government in fighting the group. Cooperation was carried out by agreeing to send Indian troops as peacekeepers in 1987 (Cronin-Furman & Arulthas, 2021;Fazil & Fowsar, 2020;Mayilvaganan, 2023;Meier, 2020). After the bomb occurred involving several people from Bangladesh, the Bangladesh government also condemned the act and banned the existence of anti-India organizations (Government of India, 2012).…”