The separatist conflict in Sri Lanka
Subtitle: terrorism, ethnicity, political economy
By: Asoka Bandarage
Publisher: iUniverse/Authors Choice Press
Published: 2009
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 279
ISBN-13: 9781440135705; 9781440155611
Subjects: Politics and government; Tamiløiløa VitĐutalaippulikalĐ (Association); Autonomy and independence movements; Tamil (Indic people); History; Civil War (Sri Lanka : 1983-2009) fast (OCoLC)fst01907470
Description: Using careful historical research and analysis of policy documents, this book explains the origin and evolution of the political conflict in Sri Lanka over the struggle to establish a separate state in its Northern and Eastern Provinces. The conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the secessionist LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) is one of the world's most intractable contemporary armed struggles. The internationally banned LTTE is considered the prototype of modern terrorism. It is known to have introduced suicide bombing to the world, and recently became the first terrorist organization ever to acquire an air force. The book argues that the Sri Lankan conflict cannot be adequately understood from the dominant bipolar analysis that sees it as a primordial ethnic conflict between the Sinhala majority and the Tamil minority. The book broadens the discourse providing a multipolar analysis of the complex interplay of political-economic and cultural forces at the local, regional and international levels including the roles of India and the international community. Overall, the book presents a conceptual framework useful for comparative global conflict analysis and resolution, shedding light on a host of complex issues such as terrorism, civil society, diasporas, international intervention and secessionism.
Notes: Originally published: London : Routledge, 2009.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 264-267) and index.