The Road to Compromise in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Described as a victor’s peace, the post-war situation in Sri Lanka has been characterised as one of deep division between the various ethnic groups with little attempt to address the roots of the conflict. With this finding in mind and using recent survey data, this chapter focuses on relations between the various self-identified ethnic communities—Sinhalese, Tamil, Sri Lankan—and their support for a range of mechanisms to deal with Sri Lanka’s violent past. The results suggest that not only do the various ethnic groups display little understanding of each other’s cultural traditions and are highly segregated in their living arrangements, but this is particularly the case when the Sinhalese and Tamil communities are considered. Similar findings emerge when views concerning how to deal with the past are considered. While the vast majority adopted a non-forgiving, or vengeful, stance in relation to those with a violent past, and a slight majority were opposed to amnesty, this is again particularly so among the Sinhalese and Tamil communities. This is not to deny, however, their somewhat more positive, or unifying and hopeful, view of interethnic relations in the future, particularly among those who endorsed a Sri Lankan identity.