“Prof. G. L. Peiris offers a rare insider’s account of Sri Lanka’s peace talks with the LTTE”
As global attention focusses on high-stakes peace negotiations, a definitive Sri Lankan perspective on the promise and perils of negotiated conflict resolution comes to print At a moment when the world is closely watching peace efforts linked to conflicts in Thailand, Cambodia, Gaza and Ukraine, a new book by Prof. G. L. Peiris revisits one of the most closely scrutinisedpeace initiatives of recent times: the negotiations between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Titled ‘The Sri Lanka Leace Process: An Inside View’, the book is published by Vijitha Yapa Publications. The hardcover volume provides a scholarly, candid and first-hand account of the peace process that began in Sattahip, Thailand, on 16 September 2002, amid widespread international expectation that a brutal 30-year conflict was finally nearing its end.
The talks drew global attention not only for their ambition, but also for what they symbolised: the hope that dialogue could succeed where decades of violence had failed, and that Sri Lanka might offer lessons for the negotiated resolution of other ethnic conflicts. The reality proved more complex. The process unfolded amid international scrutiny, encountering structural weaknesses, competing agendas and political vulnerabilities that ultimately led to its collapse.
This book examines that journey in detail. It analyses the design of the peace process, its strengths and inherent flaws, the limited gains that were achieved, and the factors that precipitated its failure.
Importantly, it does so through the lens of the individual who led the Government of Sri Lanka’s negotiations in face-to-face talks with one of the world’s most ruthless terrorist organisations, the LTTE.
Prof. Peiris brings exceptional authority to this narrative. A former Dean of the Faculty of Law and Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo, he has also served Sri Lanka as Minister of External Affairs, State Minister of Defence, Minister of Education and Minister of Justice. His academic credentials include a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours from Ceylon, and Doctorates from Oxford University and Sri Lanka.
Drawing on this blend of academic rigour and experience at the highest levels of governance, Prof. Peiris offers an objective, analytical and deeply personal account of the peace talks. The narrative is enriched by first-hand insights into the personalities involved, the strategic calculations on both sides, and the realities of negotiating under intense domestic and international pressure.
As contemporary global leaders grapple with the complexities of ending armed conflicts throughdialogue, ‘The Sri Lanka Peace Process: An Inside View’ serves as a timely reminder of both the potential and the fragility of peace processes, and of the high cost of missteps along the way.
The book is available in hardcover at Rs. 7,500……. Vijitha Yapa Bookshop,
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
ALSO NOTE
Michael Roberts: TAMIL PERSON AND STATE, Colombo, Vijitha Yapa Publications 21012, in Two volumes
https://www.sundaytimes.lk/090524/News/sundaytimesnews_28.html …. “Peace that LTTE Spurned”
https://www.thewilltofreedom.org/ch6.html
All the International solutions Sri Lanka tried & tested but all failed – LTTE wanted only terror
I’m often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has actually peaks my interest. I’m going to bookmark your web site and maintain checking for brand spanking new information.
Concise and informative. I learned something new today.
I truly appreciate your technique of writing a blog. I added it to my bookmark site list and will
This post is a great starting point for anyone new to the subject.
I enjoyed the case study — it really brought the theory to life.
Good read — the key takeaways were especially helpful.