The Resurgence of War

Abstract

At the time of the ceasefire and in comparison to some other states with major armed conflicts, Sri Lanka seemed both open to international involvement and safe for international staff. Sri Lanka has a long history of international interest in its conflict, with development actors working nationwide, and humanitarian organisations relieving the suffering of the war-affected communities of the North and East. Norway’s relatively impartial facilitation of the 2002 peace process contrasted positively with India’s bungled efforts in the early 90s; and this time the ceasefire would have external monitors. The ceasefire agreement came at a time when the ‘international community’ had arrived at a consensus about how it should respond to violent conflict, and the favourable situation allowed them to experiment with the prioritisation of economic recovery, led by the international financial institutions (IFIs). The result of this peace process was the bloodiest episode in Sri Lanka’s 26-year war. This chapter charts the return to war and describes the post-ceasefire situation in Mannar. The internationalised peace process and the reconstruction of the North and East did nothing to limit the excesses of Eelam War IV.