Eleventh Global Studies Conference

Abstract

The armed conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) between 1983 and 2002 cost an estimated 60,000 or more lives. This was voted as a severe violation of human rights in the UN assembly. The war prompted nearly one-quarter of Sri Lankan Tamilians to leave the country, creating a Tamil Diaspora that now amounts to approximately 600,000-800,000 worldwide. Forming a Diaspora in Western countries like Canada, Norway and the United Kingdom (U.K), the Tamil community provided financial aid and political support to The Tigers throughout the civil war. The government of Sri Lanka faced immense pressure from the Western human rights groups (e.g., BBC, Al Jazeera, Channel 4) and other countries for displaying unhealthy and autocratic behavior while handling the final stages of the conflict with LTTE. Apart from the Sri Lankan government, UN bodies, particularly the Security Council and the Human Rights Council, were criticized for their failures in promptly responding to the rehabilitation and reintegration crisis in Sri Lanka. Several initiatives taken by the UN which called for an establishment of an international inquiry have failed with time. In this realm, the central question of this study arises - does the Sri Lankan government entertain the interference of the external parties? Further, if it does, how will identity determine the global stakeholders in conflict and peace building resolutions?