It is almost inevitable that the thoughts of those who have lived in Sri Lanka through its long years of troubles should turn periodically to an examination of how things went so badly wrong. The essays in this volume are attempts at understanding the nature of the country’s complex political crisis and at explaining, as best as possible, what was done wrong in the various attempts at resolving the conflict and what was done right but which, latter however, proved to be inadequate to meet the mounting pressures of a persistent conflict. Inevitably too our closeness to the transition from one century to another, and indeed from one millennium to another, provided a sharper focus to our work and added a greater sense of urgency to it on this occasion. 

The research on which these chapters was based was conducted over the years 1997-99. In the case of many of the chapters, however, the research was a continuation of work that had begun earlier. Most of the chapters in this volume were presented for discussion at a workshop on "Post-Settlement Peace-Building in Sri Lanka: A Review of Past Failures and Future Prospects," held on 29-30 January 1999 in Kandy, and the process of their revision for publication has benefited from the close critical examination they were subjected to at that workshop. The invitees to the workshop were a good cross-section of political opinion in this country and in its public life, a mixture of scholars, administrators, and concerned private individuals, from all the ethnic and religious groups in the country.

PART I : CONFLICT AND ATTEMPTS AT RESOLUTION

Chapter One : Sri Lanka's Ethnic Conflict and the Long Search for its Resolution: 1979-1999, K M de Silva 

Chapter Two: Crisis of Devolution,1988-1989, Dayan Jayatilleka 

Chapter Three : Sri Lanka: From Demilitarisation to Militarisation,1985 to 1999, K M de Silva 

PART II : THE FEDERAL OPTION 

Chapter Four : Federalism and the Case for Radical Constitutional Reform in Sri Lanka, Rohan Edrisinha 
 

Chapter Five : Devolution and the Elusive Quest for Peace in Sri Lanka, Neelan Tiruchelvam 
 

Chapter Six : The Federal Option and its Alternatives, K M de Silva 
 
PART III : SEPARATISM

Chapter Seven : The LTTE and Tamil Separatism in Sri Lanka, Dayan Jayatilleka 
 

Chapter Eight : Prospects for a Negotiated Settlement of Sri Lanka's Ethnic Conflict, G H Peiris 
 
PART IV : RECONSTRUCTION

Chapter Nine : Resettlement, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of The Vavuniya District, N Balakrishnan 
 

Chapter Ten : Rehabilitation of the Northern Province: Prospects and Problems, Devanesan Nesiah 
 

Chapter Eleven : Ethnic Conflict and the Prospects for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction: The Eastern Province, H S Hasbullah 
 

Chapter Twelve : Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Reconciliation: A Retrospect, 
G H Peiris