Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
besieged by Tamil guerrillas, Sri Lankan Army (SLA) troops and a so-called peacekeeping
force, the city lost almost half of its population to emigration. In 1990 the LTTE forced
Jaffna's few remaining Sinhalese and all Muslim residents to leave. Jaffna suffered
through endless bombings, a crippling blockade (goods, including fuel, once retailed here
for 20 times the market price - one reason so many residents ride bicycles) and military
rule after the SLA's 1995 recapture of the town.
Then in the peace created by the 2002 accords, the sense of occupation was relaxed and
Jaffna sprang back to life: domestic flights began; refugees, internally displaced persons
(IDPs) and long-absent émigrés returned; and new businesses opened and building pro-
jects commenced. Hostilities recommenced in 2006 and tension continued through the end
of the war in 2009.
Today a sense of stability has returned and a mood of hopefulness is evident across the
city. The population of the Jaffna peninsula, however, is still well below its prewar figure.
Sights
