ocr: Ethnic tensions between the minority Tamils and majority Sinhalese eruptedinto civil war in 1983.The Tamils were the minority group favored by the British colonists. When the British left, laws were passedto redress the balance by favoring the Sinhalese. As a result, l'amils feel sidelined, and support for secessionism has gTOWIL. The conflict also has a religious dimension - most Sinhalese are Buddhist, while l'amils are mostly Muslim or Hindu.
