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전 쟁 사 군사연구 제130집 291 (Abstract) Sri Lankan Civil War, and Reasons for Victory of the Government Forces and for Defeat of LTTE Rebels - Kim Jae Myung - In May 2009, Sri Lanka's 26 year civil war was finally over and Sri Lankan government reestablished control over entire island. The separatist militant organization, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (the LTTE, usually known as the Tamil Tigers) which had fought to create an independent Tamil state, was defeated by the Sri Lankan military force, and top leaders of the LTTE including Vellupillai Prabhakaran were killed or captured. Based on the concept of balance of power and the third-party intervention, this paper analyzes the main reasons why Sri Lanka's civil war could prolong for 26 years, and what caused the LTTE to be defeated. Firstly, the breakup of the LTTE leadership; From the start of insurgency, the LTTE was led by Vellupillai Prabhakaran. In 2004, A split has emerged inside the LTTE, with an eastern commander, Colonel Karuna, setting up on his own power and starting a blood struggle inside the LTTE. The Sri Lankan government successfully encouraged Karuna in order to weaken the LTTE. Secondly, the hawkish line of the LTTE leadership which denied any political compromises; Although there were several chances to end the civil war through peace negotiation with the mediation of third party, the hardliners in the LTTE preferred military options to peaceful ones. This hawkish line of the LTTE stimulated the all-out military offense led by Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lankan President since 2005. Thirdly, the blockade of financial support and arms import against the LTTE; the international society including the United States and European Union, which listed the LTTE as a Terrorist Group, weakened the rebel power by sanctioning the influx of money and military equipment for the LTTE. Lastly, the most decisive factor is the Chinese support which broke the military balance in Sri Lanka; Chinese military and diplomatic aid was crucial to Sri Lankan victory over the LTTE. Sri Lanka’s