Sri Lanka :60 Years of  “Independence” and Beyond

by Centre for Just Peace and Democracy, Switzerland, December 2009

By the

Centre for Just Peace and Democracy

Authors and Contributor Particulars: Edited by Ana Pararajasingham and contributions by 27 authors

ISBN: 3-9523172-5-X

978-3-9523172-5-9

Contact:

By Email: info@cjpdonline.org or pararajasingham@cjpdonline.org

By Phone: ( 61 402 90 4032 )

Published by: Centre for Just Peace and Democracy, Emmenbrucke, Switzerland

Publication Date: December 2009

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Sri Lanka :60 Years of  “Independence” and Beyond

Sri Lanka: 60 Years of “Independence” and beyond is a collection of articles exploring the complex issues that underpin Sri Lanka’s history since its “independence” in 1948  a period dominated by conflict between the Sinhalese and the Tamil people of the island.

This book is the latest (December 2009) publication by the Switzerland based Centre for Just Peace and Democracy (CJPD) and is edited by Ana Pararajasingham, CJPD’s Programmes Director.

The book comprises 26 papers covering 11 topics examined from different perspectives. Contributors include Tamils, Sinhalese and others from the wider international community. This is because conflicts, particularly those that are underpinned by nationalism and the vestiges of colonialism are best comprehended when diverse views are presented.

This book provides a comprehensive and up to date account of the island’s “post independence” era by authors who, over many years, have written widely on the subject.

In his Foreword, Justice John Dowd AO QC, Vice President of the International Commission of Jurists describes the book as a “very careful and painstaking analysis of the legal, constitutional, religious, sociological and ethnic problems that comprise modern Sri Lanka” and recommends that “it is essential reading for those who want to understand the conflict”.

Bruce Haigh, Former Australian Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka considers the book to be long overdue. “It should have been published twenty years ago. Now that it is published it should be required reading by politicians, diplomats, journalists and academics. The contributors to this study by and large provide a perspective on Sri Lanka which can no longer be ignored. The tragedy, which underlines the need for this book to be read by policy and opinion makers and educators, is that some people who might have contributed became too frightened.”

Professor Damien Kingsburry with the School of International and Political Studies at Deakin University in his review says”, ‘Sri Lanka: 60 Years of Independence and Beyond’, is perhaps the most comprehensive explanation to date as to why Tamil Tigers were at war with the Sri Lankan government. It does not focus on the Tamil Tigers as such, other than as a manifestation of Tamil grievances……. The Australian government’s policy makers would also do well to read 60 Years when reconsidering the current policy on stalling the process of assessing Sri Lankan refugee applications. They might then better understand that, apart from being a shallow domestic ploy, they are playing into the hands of a government not interested in finding an equitable political solution to Sri Lanka’s long-standing problems, but instead continuing a 60 year old culture of repression”

Download previous CJPD books at www.cjpdonline.org