The Political Economy of Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka: Economic Liberalization, Mobilizational Resources, and Ethnic Collective Action

241 Pages·2014·1.37 MB·English

by  Nikolaos Biziouras

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The Political Economy of Ethnic Con ict in
Sri Lanka
Atthepointofindependencein1948,SriLankawaspredictedtobeasuccess
story in the developing world. However, in July 1983 aviolent ethnic conflict
thatpittedtheSinhaleseagainsttheTamilsbegananddidnotcometoanend
until 2009. This conflict led to nearly 50,000 combatant deaths and approxi-
mately 40,000 civilian deaths, as well as almost one million internally dis-
placed refugees and the permanent migration abroad of nearly 130,000
civilians.
With a focus on Sri Lanka, this book explores the political economy of
ethnic conflict and examines how rival political leaders are able to convince
theirethnicgroupmemberstofollowthemintoviolentconflict.Specifically,it
looks at how political leaders can influence and utilize changes in the level of
economic liberalization in order to mobilize members of a certain ethnic
group and, in the case of Sri Lanka, shows how ethnic mobilization drives
can turn violent when minority ethnic groups are economically marginalized
by the decisions that the majority ethnic group leaders make in order to stay
in power.
TakingapoliticaleconomyapproachtotheconflictinSriLanka,thisbook
is unique in its historical analysis and provides a longitudinal view of the
evolution of both Tamil and Sinhalese ethnic drives. As such, this inter-
disciplinary study will be of interest to policy makers as well as academics in
the field of South Asian studies, political science, sociology, development
studies, political economy and security studies.
Nikolaos Biziouras is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the US
Naval Academy. His research focuses on the political economy of intra-state
conflict.
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The Political Economy of Ethnic
fl
Con ict in Sri Lanka
Economic liberalization, mobilizational
resources, and ethnic collective action
Nikolaos Biziouras
Firstpublished2014
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Biziouras,Nikolaos.
ThepoliticaleconomyofethnicconflictinSriLanka:economic
liberalization,mobilizationalresources,andethniccollectiveaction/
NikolaosBiziouras.
pagescm.–(RoutledgecontemporarySouthAsiaseries;78)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
1.Ethnicconflict–SriLanka.2.Ethnicconflict–Economicaspects–
SriLanka.3.Tamil(Indicpeople)–SriLanka–Ethnicidentity.4.Sinhalese
(SriLankanpeople)–SriLanka–Ethnicidentity.5.SriLanka–Ethnic
relations.6.SriLanka–History–CivilWar,1983-2009.I.Title.
HN670.8.Z9S62242014
305.89'91413–dc23
2013040873
ISBN:978-0-415-74233-7(hbk)
ISBN:978-1-315-81478-0(ebk)
TypesetinTimesNewRoman
byTaylor&FrancisBooks
Dedicated to my parents, grandparents and Jackie