Sri Lanka has a plural society of several different ethnic communities numbering 19 million. The Sinhalese form the main ethnic group with 74 percent of the population. The majority of the Sinhalese are Buddhists by religion and are mainly concentrated in the south, west and central parts of the country. The Sri Lanka Tamils with 12 percent of the population form the next major ethnic group. They are a majority in the North and East of the country. The Muslims form the third major ethnic group with 8 percent of the population with a concentration in the east. The Up-country Tamils, who are of recent Indian origin, form the fourth major community with about 5 percent of the population. They live in the central hills of the country. Most of the Tamils are Hindu by religion. While a minority of both Sinhalese and Tamils comprising about 7 percent of the total population are Christian by religion, they are not considered to be a separate ethnic group.

For nearly 25 years, Sri Lanka was in the throes of violent conflict, in which there have been major military battles, killings of civilians, severe human rights abuses and destruction of economic infrastructure.

Sri Lanka has had a relatively long tradition of modern democracy, stretching back to the British colonial period. Sri Lanka was one of the first countries in the world to enjoy universal suffrage in 1931. But disagreements over powersharing among the different communities led to a series of broken agreements and to acute mistrust.

Since 1998, there has been a Norwegian-facilitated peace process at the invitation of both the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE. In February 2002, both parties signed a Cease Fire Agreement (CFA). Most people and political parties welcomed this cease-fire and the direct peace talks between the government and LTTE. However, in April 2003 the direct peace talks were suspended.

The tsunami disaster from December 26, 2004 did not release those tensions. In February 2005 the official negotiation process led by the Norwegians concerning the post-tsunami operational management structure (PTOMS) started. However, due to opposition from nationalist Sinahalese political parties, the agreement was brought before the Supreme Court which ruled it unconstitutional.

At the start of 2006, the level of violence increased significantly, yet there was a hope that talks concerning the implementation of the CFA, between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, would open an avenue towards renewed peace negotiations.

The continued escalation of the war in 2007 to 2008 led to the military defeat of the LTTE in May 2009. However, despite the end of the war, there has not been a resolution of the underlying causes of conflict between the Tamil minority and the Government of Sri Lanka.

The IICP is committed to encourage the Sri Lankan people to enter into sincere and honest dialogues at all levels of society. Fear and suspicions need to be addressed and acknowledged in order to be overcome and to transform the post-war situation into one of positive and sustainable peace.