Comparative analysis on the impact of external compulsions and domestic politics of Sri Lanka during the Human Rights allegations issues of it in 1983 and 2009

Abstract

Sri Lankan government‘s 2009 military victory over Liberation Tigers Tamil Elam and Sri Lankan government‘s repression over Tamil minority during 1983 communal clashes caused the origin of United Nations Human Rights Council Resolutions against Sri Lanka‘s war crimes and human rights violations during above periods. The research problem is to analyse trends and developments of Sri Lanka‘s dealings with above two situations and also to analyse the behavior and impact of domestic politics of Sri Lanka and external compulsions on the two situations in 1983 and 2009. Secondary data collected through data triangulation method available in both printed and electronic form in various data sources such as historical records, government publications, books, interviews, speeches, and web will be analyzed using theories through a deductive content analysis. It will test prevailing theories in different contexts when compare the categories during different time settings. It will suggest how the existing theory could be developed in order to explain certain new emerging data categories not fit in to the existing theoretical concepts independent of the theory. Content analysis evaluate document texts and to test theoretical relevance to understand data more comprehensively and scientifically. This is a qualitative research guided by theory. In both 2009 and 1983 contexts, the domestic politics of Sri Lanka persuaded the policy makers for voluntary and involuntary defections from international agreements to ensure their political survival creating hostile situations constraining their international survival. Neorealist explains the smaller powers are constrained by the external pressures whereas domestic political analysis explains the domestic constraints of the decision makers. Both governments failed to address the problem successfully in 1983 and 2009, but the present government will overcome the September 2015 United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution due to its qualitative efforts on establishing good governance that are already appreciated by international community.