Sri Lankan Civil War and the rise of the LTTE (1976-2009)

1. Tamil New Tigers renamed as the LTTE

   May 5, 1976Labels: LTTE, Velupillai Prabhakaran

   • Prabhakaran
   • LTTE

2. Prevention of Terrorism Act enacted as emergency tool

   Jan 1, 1979Labels: Prevention of, Sri Lanka

   • PTA

3. Jaffna Public Library burned during anti-Tamil violence

   May 31, 1981Labels: Jaffna Public, Anti-Tamil violence

   • Jaffna Library

4. LTTE ambush kills 13 soldiers at Thirunelveli

   Jul 23, 1983Labels: Thirunelveli ambush, LTTE

   • Four Four Bravo

5. Black July pogrom drives war escalation and diaspora

   Jul 24, 1983Labels: Black July, Anti-Tamil riots

   • Black July

6. Thimphu talks set out Tamil negotiating principles

   Jul 8, 1985Labels: Thimphu talks, Tamil delegations

   • Thimpu principles

7. Indo–Sri Lanka Accord signed; IPKF deployed

   Jul 29, 1987Labels: Indo Sri, IPKF

   • Indo Sri Lanka

8. LTTE massacre of surrendered police ends ceasefire

   Jun 11, 1990Labels: Massacre of, LTTE

   • 1990 police massacre

9. Rajiv Gandhi assassinated; LTTE faces international backlash

   May 21, 1991Labels: Rajiv Gandhi, LTTE

   • LTTE overview

10. LTTE bombs Colombo Central Bank

    Jan 31, 1996Labels: Colombo Central, LTTE

    • Central Bank bombing

11. Government and LTTE sign Norway-brokered ceasefire

    Feb 22, 2002Labels: 2002 Ceasefire, Norway

    • USIP ceasefire text
    • UPI

12. Tokyo donor conference ties aid to peace progress

    Jun 10, 2003Labels: Tokyo donor, Donors

    • Japan MOFA
    • Japan Times

13. Karuna breaks from the LTTE, weakening eastern control

    Mar 1, 2004Labels: Karuna split, LTTE eastern

    • HRW report

14. Geneva talks attempt to shore up the ceasefire

    Feb 21, 2006Labels: Geneva talks, Norway

    • Swissinfo

15. Mavil Aru crisis triggers renewed full-scale fighting

    Jul 26, 2006Labels: Mavil Aru, Sri Lankan

    • Eelam War IV
    • Mavil Aru

16. Sri Lankan forces capture Kilinochchi, LTTE administrative hub

    Jan 2, 2009Labels: Kilinochchi capture, Sri Lankan

    • Battle of Kilinochchi
    • 2009 in Sri

17. Sri Lanka announces defeat of LTTE and end of war

    May 18, 2009Labels: Defeat of, Velupillai Prabhakaran

    • Guardian
    • LTTE

18. UN panel issues accountability report on final war phase

    Mar 31, 2011Labels: UN accountability, United Nations

    • Refworld
    • Panel report