Sri Lanka's failed peace process and the continuing challenge of ethno-territorial cleavages

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

This chapter examines why the peace process in Sri Lanka failed to find a constitutional settlement for the country’s ethno-territorial cleavage, and even enthroned a government hostile to Tamil aspirations for regional autonomy. It first provides a historical background on the ethnic division between Sinhalese and Tamils before turning to the period of constitutional engagement in Sri Lanka, focusing in particular on the Norwegian-facilitated peace process between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and highlighting its various weaknesses as a model of conflict transformation and constitutional transition. The chapter also analyzes the outcomes of the peace process and the lessons that can be drawn from it. Two features of Sri Lanka’s political culture that became evident in the failure of the peace negotiations are identified: the hyper-competitive nature of party politics and the elitism of constitutional politics.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationTerritory and Power in Constitutional Transitions
PublisherOxford University Press
Chapter14
Pages255-274
ISBN (Print)9780198836544
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 12 Mar 2019

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • peace process
  • Sri Lanka
  • ethno-territorial cleavage
  • autonomy
  • Sinhalese
  • Tamils
  • Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
  • constitutional transtition
  • party politics
  • constitutional politics

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