Knowledge Partner
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist
Image 30: Improvised armoured bulldozer used the LiberaLon Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the First BaBle of Elephant Pass (1991).
Today, it is one of the Sri Lankan Civil War memorials.
on its own terms. As President Sirisena correctly ar*culates on the maQer,
there should be no interna*onal judges in this process; a local mechanism
needs to be in place to address the root cause of the problem. Finding
evidence of missing persons to bring closure to many cases from the war
period is an essen*al component in this regard. Interna*onal engagement to
provide the tools for reconcilia*on will allow Sri Lanka to implement conflict
diplomacy more effec*vely. Finally, Sri Lankan diplomacy needs to be
strengthened par*cularly with reference to the country's rela*onship with
India, and this in turn is essen*al to bridge the gap between the southern
Indian state of Tamil Nadu and Colombo.
but be prac*ced internally and externally so as to mi*gate any future
conflict. By deriving policy and strategy in terms of conflict diplomacy, Sri
Lanka can re-define its interna*onal image as a beacon of hope,
reconcilia*on, and resolve ajer suffering under the yoke of a three
decade-long war.
Going forth, it is prudent that conflict diplomacy take centre-stage in post-
war diploma*c prac*ce and Sri Lanka's foreign policy formula*on. Conflict
diplomacy should not only comprise the lexical vocabulary of the country
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