The Intra-group Dimensions of Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka

Why, in protracted ethnicized conflicts around the world, do we frequently observe a pattern in which a gradual improvement in inter-group relations is shattered by unexpected eruptions of violence? And how is it that, even in the midst of intense militarised conflict, there are systematic networks of communication and cooperation across battle lines? Answers to these questions require us to critically examine how the ebb and flow of relations within ethnic groups affects relations between groups for good or for ill. With an empirical focus on Sri Lanka, this book advances our understanding of violent and non-violent forms of 'ethnic' conflicts by challenging 'billiard ball analyses' which cast ethnic groups as relatively unified entities that interact in the 'inter-group arena'. The book illustrates that if conflict management efforts do not explicitly incorporate inter- and intra-group considerations, then they are doomed to be sub-optimal at best, and conflict-inducing at worst.