CIAO DATE: 10/05

In the Shadow of a Cease-fire: The Impacts of Small Arms Availability and Misuse in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Sri Lanka appears to be entering the final chapter of the 20-year civil war between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Although it may be too early to assess, and the peace process is currently stalled, it does seem that the LTTE is more serious about a sustained peace process than at any time since the violence erupted in 1983.

The LTTE has proved extremely adept at trawling the international black market for illegal small arms and light weapons (SALW) and even more proficient at moving equipment from distant locales into the north-east of the island. The LTTE has also acquired significant supplies of weapons from stockpiles abandoned by the government forces. The LTTE has benefited from massive remittances and assistance from Tamil sympathizers across the world.

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