ABSTRACT
The focus of Chapter Four is reconciliation. It pays special attention to the post-war relations between the Sinhalese and the Tamils. The initial push for post-war reconciliation came from the international community, as the local population was not ready to contemplate reconciliation in the immediate aftermath of the war. The chapter explains why the Rajapaksa government resisted international pressure, what measures it initiated, and why these measures failed to bring these communities together. The second half of the chapter deals with the attitude of the new government that was elected in 2015 and the issues it encountered in terms of promoting genuine reconciliation. The chapter also delves into the Tamil attitude and response to the government gestures.
