History - Sri Lanka - page 657

President Rajapaksa pledged to replace Norwegian peace negotiators with those from
the UN and India, renegotiate a ceasefire with the LTTE, reject Tamil autonomy and refuse
to share tsunami aid with the LTTE. Such policies didn't auger well for future peace.
Meanwhile LTTE leader Prabhakaran insisted on a political settlement during 2006, and
threatened to 'intensify' action if this didn't occur. Tensions were high, and again Sri
Lanka was perched on a precipice. Killings, assaults, kidnappings and disappearances oc-
curred on both sides, and commentators predicted the worst.
Although its authorship and veracity have been disputed, Tamil Tigress, by Niromi de
Soyza, tells the engrossing story of a former Tamil Tiger child soldier who left school at 17
to join the movement.
A FLAG FOR COMPASSION
Sri Lanka's flag was created in 1948 and took on many changes over the years. The core
element was the lion on a crimson background, which had been used on flags throughout
Sri Lankan history, beginning with Prince Vijaya, who is believed to have brought a lion
flag with him from India. The lion, then, represented the Sinhalese people, and the gold is
said to signify Buddhism. The flag was adopted in 1950, and as Sri Lanka settled into in-
dependence, it evolved: in 1951 green and orange stripes were added to signify Sri
Lanka's Muslims and Hindus, respectively, and in 1972 four bodhi-tree leaves were added
to representmetta(loving-kindness),karuna(compassion),upekkha(equanimity) and
muditha(happiness).
The End of the War
An Elusive Ceasefire
Another ceasefire was signed in early 2006, but cracks soon appeared and by mid-year the
agreement was in tatters. Major military operations by both sides resumed in the north and
east, and a wave of disappearances and killings in 2006 and 2007 prompted human-rights
groups and the international community to strongly criticise all belligerents. By August the
fighting in the northeast was the most intense since the 2002 ceasefire, and peace talks in