▁such ▁as ▁R oh ana ▁W ije we era , ▁Up at issa ▁G aman ay ake ▁and ▁Sam an ▁Pi y asi ri ▁Fernando ▁were ▁assass in ated ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁ ▁Sri ▁L ank an ▁Civil ▁War ▁▁ ▁The ▁government ▁forces ▁of ▁Sri ▁L anka ▁were ▁involved ▁in ▁an ▁armed ▁conflict ▁with ▁the ▁Liber ation ▁Tig ers ▁of ▁T amil ▁E el am ▁( LT TE ), ▁a ▁milit ant ▁organisation ▁which ▁fought ▁to ▁create ▁an ▁independent ▁T amil ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁and ▁eastern ▁provinces ▁of ▁the ▁island . ▁Begin ning ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁the ▁war ▁has ▁last ed ▁nearly ▁three ▁dec ades ▁and ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁longest - running ▁civil ▁wars ▁in ▁Asia . ▁After ▁a ▁ 2 6 - year ▁long ▁military ▁campaign , ▁the ▁Sri ▁L ank an ▁military ▁defeated ▁the ▁T amil ▁Tig ers ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁bringing ▁the ▁civil ▁war ▁to ▁an ▁end . ▁There ▁are ▁w ides p read ▁alleg ations ▁that ▁the ▁Sri ▁L ank an ▁military ▁and ▁the ▁L T TE ▁committed ▁numerous ▁at roc ities ▁and ▁human ▁rights ▁viol ations , ▁including ▁war ▁cr imes , ▁during ▁the ▁civil ▁war . ▁A ▁United ▁Nations ▁report ▁found ▁that ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁civ ili ans ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁killed ▁in ▁the ▁final ▁months ▁of ▁the ▁civil ▁war , ▁mostly ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁ind isc rim inate ▁shell ing ▁by