A virtual Eelam : democracy, internet and Sri Lanka's Tamil struggle

Introduction: For more than half a century Sri Tamils have debated, demonstrated and fought for self determination - an Edam nation geographically defined in the North and East of Sri Lanka. Their concept of nationhood, however, transcends geographic boundaries and includes more than 50 million Tamil speaking people scattered throughout the world. Their diaspora is held together, and informed of the Eelam struggle, through an elaborate propaganda and information network which relies heavily on the Internet. This network has also been crucial in generating international sympathy and collecting funds for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) - the de facto representatives of the pro-Eelam Tamils - which among other strategies has engaged in battlefield combat with the government military for more than two decades.