Reconciliation in Sri Lanka: Opportunities, challenges, and pathways

This research critically examines the opportunities and challenges of Sri Lanka's post-civil war reconciliation efforts since 2009. Despite hopes that decades of ethnic conflict between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil and Muslim minorities could be resolved, substantive reconciliation remains elusive fifteen years after the war's conclusion. Through a qualitative case study methodology informed by feminist critical theory and postcolonial frameworks, I prioritise experiential knowledge and 8everyday9 understandings of affected communities. Drawing on investigative reports, case studies, and ten semi-structured interviews with subject matter experts (academic researchers, grassroots activists, civil society leaders, and government administrators), I have identified three primary themes. First, I found a significant gap between state and community perceptions of reconciliation, with government actions at odds with local expectations and experiences. Second, I observe how intensified military presence through surveillance and land appropriation threatened livelihoods and deepened economic exclusion in the North and East, which eroded civil liberties, perpetuating fear and mistrust. Third, I analyse how minority rights issues, particularly concerning the 13th Amendment of the Sri Lankan Constitution, language rights, and political representation, continue to reinforce inequalities that undermine reconciliation. In the absence of meaningful state-led initiatives, my research highlights how grassroots organisations and civil society actors have developed innovative bottom-up approaches to facilitate 'everyday' reconciliation. By centring the visions of Tamil and Muslim communities regarding pluralism, security, political inclusion, and systemic justice, I explore pathways for a holistic reconciliation. My findings reveal a disconnect between official reconciliation rhetoric and the lived experiences of affected communities, suggesting that sustainable peace requires addressing structural inequalities and embracing community-centred approaches within a holistic reconciliation process.