ABSTRACT
The armed conflict between the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been one of the most severe contemporary civil wars, both in terms of casualties and duration. In this chapter I analyse ceasefire agreements in relation to peace processes in this conflict. I begin by discussing the background of the conflict, the main actors, the commencement of the armed conflict and experiences from earlier peace attempts. Following this I present the historical narratives. They are structured into two main sections: one for the peace process that began in 1994, and one for the process that started in 2002. These sections have the same structure as the historical narratives in the chapter on Aceh, and they are guided by the analytical framework. Each one begins with an exploration of the situation prior to the peace process and conflict dynamics. Thereafter, I focus on the initiation of a ceasefire, its form and content and the implementation and unfolding of the process. Each section ends with a concluding discussion. In the final section of the chapter, comparative insights are drawn from the two ceasefire agreements and peace processes in Sri Lanka. These insights will be used in the final comparative analysis.
