BOOKS AND MANUSCRIPTS

Choosing rice over risk: rights, resettlement and displaced women.

This book by Sophia Elek was written and published under the auspicies of The Centre for the Study of Human Rights, University of Colombo.

For those who are working to protect the rights, and support the needs of the displaced, the book offers issues and concerns of displaced women throughout the North and East of Sri Lanka, as raised by IDPs themselves. The work is informed by current discourse on gender, conflict and displacement.

The Ocean of Stories: Children's Imagination, Creativity, and Reconciliation in Eastern Sri Lanka

This publication by Patricia Lawrence offers an ethnographic reflection on The Butterfly Peace Garden of Batticaloa. ICES, 2003, 94p. Rs.150.00 Order the book from: The Librarian, International Centre for Ethnic Studies, 02, Kynsey Terrace, Colombo – 08, Sri Lanka. Email: library@icescolombo.org; Fax: 698048.

Collection on the War and Economy in Sri Lanka

Working Papers by Muttukrishna Sarvananthan. Order the Working Papers from: The Librarian, International Centre for Ethnic Studies, 02, Kynsey Terrace, Colombo – 08, Sri Lanka. Email: library@icescolombo.org; Fax: 698048.

Working Paper 1 – An Introduction to the Conflict Time Economy of the North & East Province of Sri Lanka.

May ‘03., LKR 100. USD 2. Euro 1.5. GBP 1.

This paper demonstrates the contraction of the regional economy of the North & East Province of Sri Lanka during 20 years of ethnic conflict. The declining contribution of the N&E Province to the national economy, dramatic drop in agricultural production in the N&E in absolute terms as well as in relation to national output, industrial oblivion, lagging access to modern basic necessities such as safe water, sanitation, electricity & telecommunications, declining health and educational indicators of the populace are highlighted using secondary data and descriptive analysis. The paper reveals that the N&E Province has the lowest provincial gross domestic product, lowest per capita income and perhaps lowest human development index as well in Sri Lanka.

Working Paper 2 – What Impede Economic Revival in the North&East Province of Sri Lanka?

June 2003. Price: LKR 100. USD 2. Euro 1.5. GBP 1.

Over 12 months have passed since the lifting of the economic embargo on the North&East Province of Sri Lanka and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which resulted in a ceasefire between the warring parties.

However not many new productive activities have begun in the North & East Province despite rapidly rising trade with the rest of the country. The objective of this paper is to identify the factors inhibiting economic revival in the North&East Province. The demarcation of high security zones by the Sri Lankan security forces, arbitrary cum illegitimate taxation by the LTTE and the general economic and political uncetainity are identified as major non-market institutional impediments to economic revival in the North&East Province. Based on the identification of these non-market institutional impediments, a set of proposals to both the GoSL and the LTTE are put forward in order to revive the regional economy of the N&E Province.

Working Paper 3 – Economic Imperative for Peace in Sri Lanka.

July 2003. Price: LKR 50. USD 2. Euro 1.5. GBP 1.

This paper focuses on some economic implications of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. It argues that the foregone economic growth due to the ethnic conflict is higher than hitherto acknowledged, defence expenditure has surpassed social expenditures in the past 6 years, defence expenditure as a proportion of the Gross Domestic Product in Sri Lanka is the highest in South Asia and in comparison to some other war-torn countries around the world and the labour-intensive military strategy pursued is economically very costly. The overall argument of the paper is that such high defence expenditures are the main economic woes of the country and therefore not sustainable in the long run. Thus, a peaceful resolution of the ethnic conflict is sine qua non for the economic betterment of the country.