Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena today appointed an officer from the island's Tamil minority to head the navy for the first time since a separatist war erupted 45 years ago.

Rear Admiral Travis Sinniah is the first Tamil to head a wing of the military since 1970, even though Tamils make up around 15 percent of Sri Lanka's population.

In 1972, the separatist Tamil Tigers took up arms and launched a bloody guerrilla war for a separate state for the ethnic minority that only ended in May 2009 when they were crushed in a no-holds barred military offensive.

“Rear Admiral Travis Sinniah, who has served Sri Lanka navy with immense loyalty for many decades, took office as the navy commander today,” the president said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Army Commander Mahesh Senanayake, in an interview with the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) said 42% of all Sri Lanka Army soldiers or officers know the Tamil language.

Sri Lanka is in the process of post-war reconciliation and these moves are seen as part of a wider attempt at healing the wounds between the island’s major communities. (AFP, Agencies)