Since Sri Lanka gained independence from Britain in 1948 , relations between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamil communities have been strained . Rising ethnic and political tensions , along with ethnic riots in 1956 , 1958 , 1977 , 1981 and 1983 , led to the formation and strengthening of militant groups advocating independence for Tamils . The ensuing civil war resulted in the deaths of more than 100,000 people and the forced disappearance of thousands of others . The civil war ended in 2009 but there are continuing allegations of atrocities being committed by the Sri Lankan Military and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during its final months . A United Nations panel found that as many as 40,000 civilians may have been killed in the final months of the civil war . The end of the civil war has not improved conditions in Sri Lanka , with press freedom not being restored and the judiciary coming under political control
allegations of atrocities
Alleged war crimes during the final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War
Sri Lankan Tamils