TRANSITING FROM PROLONGED CONFLICT TO POST CONFLICT DEVELOPMENT: LOCATING THE CASE OF TRINCOMALEE DISTRICT OF SRI LANKA

In early part of the 2000s Sri Lanka moved into a stage of cease-fire and peace negotiations, after almost twenty years of open civil war. The war, which resulted in an enormous destruction of human and material capital, has been largely concentrated in the northern and eastern parts of the country, even though the resultant insecurity has spilled over to the other parts of the country, even the capital city of Colombo. This paper gives an account of the peace initiative in one of the eastern districts of Sri Lanka, Trincomalee. The complex ethno-religious character of Trincomalee has been the cause of heavy fighting in the district. One important issue that has to be addressed in post conflict Trincomalee peace-building process is how to balance the various ethno-religious demands, including the interests of its Muslim communities. Another difficulty is to settle the dilemma of the internally displaced persons. In conclusion this paper argues that there is a strong correlation between peace and development. After all, it is rather the rule than the exception that a conflict may return to the stage of an open confrontation if the basic disagreements are not handled carefully in the process of peace negotiations