Economic Liberalisation, Changes in Governance Structure and Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka

The last four decades have seen considerable economic, political and cultural changes in Sri Lanka. Among the dominant themes and discourses of the period are economic liberalisation, changes in governance and the conflict between the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (portrayed as an ethnic conflict). The economic liberalisation policies of the centre-right government that came to power in 1977 opened up the country to foreign capital and relaxed emigration rules and import restrictions. This government also introduced changes to the Westminster-style democratic system by instituting a centralised governance structure headed by a directly elected executive president. These changes and their implementation imposed significant restrictions on human liberties and rights. These changes are considered as a context for the emergence of conflicts between various central governments and Tamil militants in the early 1980s. This topic has been relatively under-researched. The article attempts to grasp the complexities surrounding this topic on the basis of a review of relevant literature and the underlying meanings of the war, particularly in relation to the maintenance of patron-client relations and a globalising economy. In concluding, the article reiterates the importance of a peace process and political reforms related to national identity and allegiance to an inclusive nation. Key Words: Neo-liberalismethnic conflictgovernance and conflictSouth AsiaTamil resistance Acknowledgement This is a revised version of a paper presented at the International Conference on "Towards a Sociology of South Asia," Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India, 28 January 2006 at the invitation of conference co-ordinator Professor M. N. Panini, Centre for the Study of Social Systems, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Notes 1 There are differing arguments advanced by intellectuals, politicians and media commentators as to whether Sri Lanka's conflict between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is an ethnic conflict or not. The latest interpretation adopted by the government as well as certain ultra-nationalist Sinhala parties and groups is that it is a terrorism problem requiring anti-terrorism measures. 2 It is to be noted that developments in late 2007 and early 2008 have changed the military balance between the government and the LTTE. The LTTE also lost control of significant areas that were under its control (e.g. the Eastern Province and Mannar district in the northwest). Furthermore, Northern Province – the remaining stronghold of the LTTE – has been encircled by government forces, making military progress in the LTTE heartland whilst, in the process, resulting in the displacement of civilians. 3 A criticism of such analysis is that it lacks historical and sociological depth, as it does not take into the equation adequately the elements such as power and resources. 4 Thangarajah's chapter includes relevant statistics showing the increase in population in the North-Central and Eastern Provinces as a result of re-settlement. 5 It is important to mention that a large number of Sinhalese peasants living in the Kandyan areas that came under the Mahaweli river development project that started in late 1970s also lost their land and houses. However, they were provided with alternative land and other assistance in the re-settlement areas. Why the same did not happen or whether the same happened in the border areas needs to be ascertained. 6 By centralised governance structure, I mean the executive presidency and the powers that were assumed by the person holding this position. It is true that in the 1980s a Provincial Council system was introduced to decentralise provincial administration. One might have thought that this provision would be appealing to the Tamils in the north and east. The reality has proven otherwise due to the weaknesses in the system and its operation (see Wanasinghe Citation2003: 80-104). 7 The paper was completed in mid-late 2008. The situation in regard to the conflict between the government and the LTTE has changed substantially since then as a result of the military successes achieved by the government's armed forces in restricting the LTTE to a very small area in Northeastern Sri Lanka

Context (archaeology · Democracy · Development economics · Economic liberalization · Economics · Government (linguistics · Liberalization · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Tamil · Asian Geopolitics and Ethnography · Law · Political Conflict and Governance · Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East

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