At independence, Sri Lanka was expected to flourish among its newly liberated South Asian counterparts. [1] It had gained universal suffrage as early as 1931, and had a relatively peaceful transfer of power from its colonial rulers to the local government. As well, its minority Tamil population was seen as a passive people not prone to violence. [2] Yet the ethnic conflict that soon engulfed Sri Lanka is one of the world’s most violent and prolonged secessionist movements since the end of the Second World War.