ABSTRACT
The last phase of the war, the way it was conducted and its outcomes, had a profound impact on post-war processes including governance and reconciliation. It is difficult to understand the dilemmas Sri Lanka encountered without the proper understanding of the end of the war. Hence, this chapter provides a comprehensive introduction to, and an analysis of, the last phase of the war. It answers two questions: (1) how the war was ended, and (2) why it ended.
