The Indo-Sri Lankan Accord: An Analysis of Conflict Termination

This article examines the attempts made to negotiate a peaceful settlement to Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict, focusing on the role of India as both the instigator and guarantor of the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord of 1987. The failure of the Accord was the result of many factors, including India's role as instigator in forcing the agreement forward, and as guarantor by deploying Indian troops as peacekeepers. Finally, the article discusses both prior and subsequent attempts to negotiate a settlement with the conclusion that India's role as a regional hegemon continues to hamper state actors and multilateral organizations from intervening to mediate a peaceful end to the conflict.