Resettlement of conflict-induced IDPs in Northern Sri Lanka: Political economy of state policy and practice. SLRC Working Paper 10

Abstract

Nearly three decades of civil war in Sri Lanka between the armed forces of the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ended in May 2009 with an overwhelming victory for the GoSL armed forces. The final military offensive in the North of Sri Lanka generated massive displacements unparalleled in the history of the country, with up to an estimated 300,000 IDPs in the North. Soon after hostilities ended, the GoSL started an accelerated programme to resettle these IDPs.

This paper aims to understand the various dynamics of state policy and practice with regard to resettlement of conflict-induced IDPs in Northern Sri Lanka through a political economy lens. More specifically, the paper seeks to address the following questions:

  • What particular path has the resettlement process taken in the post-war North?
  • How are larger economic and political developments influencing the resettlement process?
  • How do different actors and their incentives shape the resettlement process?

Citation

Saparamadu, C.; Lall, A. Resettlement of conflict-induced IDPs in Northern Sri Lanka: Political economy of state policy and practice. SLRC Working Paper 10. ODI, London, UK (2014) 49 pp.

Resettlement of conflict-induced IDPs in Northern Sri Lanka: Political economy of state policy and practice. SLRC Working Paper 10

Published 1 January 2014