This document provides a historical overview of relations between the Tamil and Sinhala peoples in Sri Lanka over several centuries. It describes how the Tamils and Sinhalese originally lived in separate kingdoms that were later conquered by European colonial powers. In the 20th century, the island was unified under British rule and then gained independence in 1948, after which the Sinhala majority government implemented discriminatory policies against Tamils and suppressed calls for Tamil self-determination, leading to the emergence of an armed separatist movement. The document outlines key events in the escalating conflict between 1972-1983.