Yeah. Fun fact: we were the model country that Singapore decided they wanted to become like. We were well on the way if it weren't for the Civil War. Motorola actually were going to start a factory in the country before the Civil War, which would have accelerated our development. When it began, they packed their bags and left.

Interestingly enough, the Tamil separatists that ended up being the top dogs were funded and trained by the Indian intelligence service - RAW. When the war began, India basically defied Sri Lankan sovereign airspace began assisting the separatists by dropping supplies over the Palk Strait, then brought in their "Peace-Keeping Force". I suppose that their plan was to separate the northern part of the island, annex it into India, and then use that as a forward base toward the rest of the country.

India had to finally pull out when the rabid dog they themselves trained came and bit them in the ass: the Tamil separatists assassinated the Indian Prime Minister.

We ended up having to clean up the mess. Drained our economy, killed all the best people that remained, the rest fled, decades of inter-ethnic strife, and permanent changes in society that led to the shitty state we currently are in.

Note: Sinhalese (the majority) don't get a clean slate, they did messed up shit to the Tamils. India just exacerbated it for their own goals.

Sorry for the off-topic.