Rajapaksa was a top defense official in the civil war and played a major role in defeating the rebel Tamil Tigers. “As the President today, I represent the entire Sri Lankan nation irrespective of ethnicity, religion, party affiliation or other differences,” Rajapaksa said. Rajapaksa supporters opposed singing the national anthem in the Tamil language during the previous administration. Tamil Tiger rebels fought a 26-year civil war to create an independent state for ethnic Tamils, complaining of systemic marginalization by the Sinhalese majority-controlled state since independence. According to conservative United Nations estimates, about 100,000 people were killed in the civil war.

Source: Washington Post February 04, 2020 08:26 UTC