The Conflict

The violent civil war on the island of Sri Lanka off the Indian subcontinent reflects the tension between the ethnically, linguistically, and religiously different Sinhalese and Tamils. Nearby India is a major force in political perception in Sri Lanka and periodically intervenes. India's diverse population both mirrors and exacerbates some of Sri Lanka's tensions. From 1987-89 the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (the Tamil Tigers, or LTTE) fought the Indians and Janatha Virmukthi Peramuna (the People's Liberation Front, or JVP) fought the Sri Lankan army. With the JVP defeated and the Indians out of the country, LTTE and the army fought each other.

Religious

• The Sinhalese are mainly Buddhist; the Tamils are mainly Hindu. Tamils, in the minority, feel discriminated against. There are also other, smaller, religious groups, including Christians and Muslims.

Ethnic

• The...