Description
The global understanding of Peace has evolved beyond mere violence cessation to include progressive development, reconciliation, and rehabilitation. However, the determination of whose voice defines Peace remains unexplored, particularly in the Global South, exemplified in Sri Lanka. This research critically evaluates post-war Peace representation.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), rooted in Left-revolutionary politics, initially sought a separate land for Sri Lanka's oppressed Tamil minority. Evolving into an ethno-nationalist-centralized movement, the LTTE employed violence for Tamil liberation. Responding, Sri Lanka's government adopted a militant approach, supported internationally, aiming to militarily eliminate the LTTE and sustain Peace through extensive development policies.
Focusing on this, the research addresses why liberal peace agents overlook the Peace perspective of former LTTE combatants. Two research questions explore former combatants' perceptions of Liberal Peacebuilding's social reality in Sri Lanka and their post-civil war political consciousness for Peace.
The theoretical foundation rests on Sheila Rowbotham's feminist scholarship, extending insights into power dynamics with new dimensions of ethnicity and state-assigned identity.
Grounded in qualitative data, the research collected empirical data from 15 former LTTE combatants in London, using semi-structured interviews and ethnomethodology. Political event participation, including the 'Mullivaikkla' commemoration and 'Gota-Go-Home' event in 2022, deepened understanding of dissent against the former President's policies.
In conclusion, this research asserts inter-sectionalities of ethnicity, gender, class, and state-assigned identity play a crucial role in shaping, representing, and recognizing political consciousness of Peace. International studies rarely focus on these inter-sectionalities, especially new dimensions of ethnicity and state-assigned identity.
