ISAS Insights

In the heyday of the Non-Aligned Movement, Sri Lanka’s politicians and diplomats wielded an influence disproportionate to the country’s size on the international stage. However, the last 30 years of armed conflict and the way in which it ended has tarnished the island’s international reputation. Yet, at home, the Mahinda Rajapakse government, by comprehensively defeating the Liberation of Tamil Tigers of Eelam, has secured the lasting gratitude of the majority of the people and is widely expected to sweep the general and presidential elections to be held in 2010. The Sri Lankan government also has a golden opportunity to move quickly to heal the wounds of years of conflict through timely reconstruction and reconciliation. The international community would need to support the transition by ensuring aid effectiveness and good donorship.