In conclusion, Sri Lanka’s bloody civil war was an ethnonationalist
insurgency wherein various communities
defined themselves and their antagonists by ethnicity and
faith tradition. The LTTE was primarily a secular, nationalist
movement that became increasingly brutal over time;
the government tended to align and define itself solely
in terms of Sinhalese nationalism, for which defense of
Buddhist heritage and identity are important obligations.
The conflict was made more complicated by the presence
of Muslims and Christians who were often caught in the
crossfire, and, most importantly, the looming potential of
Hindu-dominant India to exert influence over Sinhalese
affairs. External voices had little long term impact on the
conflict, which ended in a classic battlefield defeat for the
LTTE, allowing the government almost free reign to impose
a post-war order of its choosing. Although undoubtedly
the life of the population, including most Tamils, is
better now that the war is over, many of the longstanding
grievances have not been fully addressed. Furthermore,
Colombo faces international scrutiny for its sometimes
heavy-handed tactics, despite the fact that the war is over