A Study of Victims’ Perceptions on Post War Reconciliation Efforts by the Government of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Reconciliation is a difficult process that can help conflicting parties restore t relationships. "Effective reconciliation is the best guarantee that the violence of the past will not return." The end of the conflict raises tremendous expectations for peace a reconciliation among the Sri Lankan people and the world community. There are several research studies on war and post - war conditions in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan war has produced a diverse range of war victims. With the military victory over the separatist Tamil movement to win a homeland for them, the Sri Lankan Government has begun a process of reconciliation through a package that emphasises infrastructure development while attempting to enforce its memorialization project and deny the right of memory for Tamil minorities, including Tamils from the North and East of Sri Lanka. The Eastern Part's development package, known as "Negenahira Udanaya" (Reawaking East), has placed an overemphasis on infrastructure development while ignoring how people perceive those efforts and failing to appreciate the significance of memory in formi perception. This ethnographic research aims to understand how perception influenc reconciliation and what critical issues must be addressed in an effective reconciliation process. The study was done in Karadiyanaru area in Batticaloa district in Sri Lanka using the interview method. The collected data was analysed thematically. The study concludes that unless the memory and perception components of the reconciliation process are addressed, true reconciliation will remain a fantasy for Southern politicians.