Publication

This report explores the costs and likely course of the civil war in Sri Lanka that re-erupted officially with the government withdrawing from the ceasefire agreement with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on 2 January 2008. It reviews the process that led to the return to war, looks at the viability of the government's military campaign and identifies the related costs of war. Furthermore, the paper discusses future directions of the conflict and looks at possible international action. It argues that the return to war strengthens extremists on both sides.