Negotiations

The conflict in Sri Lanka dates back several decades, and the story of its origins is contested.  What is clear, however, is that many attempts have been made to end it through negotiations.

Successive governments tried to reach an agreement with the LTTE.  While some of these efforts looked promising, at least for a while, they all came to nothing.  On every occasion, the LTTE walked out, having taken advantage of the lull in fighting to strengthen its position.  To the end, nothing other than a separate country was enough.

The Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process was set up to support the Government in its efforts to negotiate with the LTTE following the Ceasefire Agreement of 2002.  This website contains information on that process, how the LTTE ignored the promises it had made, and why in 2008 the Government was forced to abrogate the pact.  It also details the attempts made by the Government since 2006, by which time it had become clear that the LTTE was not interested in a deal, to negotiate with democratic parties representing the Tamil community.  A brief summary of the work done prior to the Ceasefire Agreement of 2002 is also included, for reference purposes.

1985 to 2001: Early Talks
2002 to 2008: Ceasefire Agreement
2006 to 2009: All Party Talks

A collection of official documents related to the conflict can be found here.