15 years on, the Tamil survivors of Sri Lanka’s brutal civil war live in fear — and disempowerment

By KRISHAN FRANCIS
Associated Press

MULLAITIVU, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s Tamil people still live in the shadow of defeat in the civil war that tore the country apart until it ended 15 years ago. Some parents have given up hope of ever learning the fate of the thousands of missing children. Parts of the Tamil lands are decimated, with poor infrastructure. Survivors have lived under surveillance for years. The island nation of 20 million is largely Buddhist, with the Tamil community making up about 11% of the population. The separatist civil war broke out in 1983. The Tamils were crushed in a 2009 government offensive. The war killed at least 100,000 on both sides.