The epistemic violence of transitional justice: a view from Sri Lanka
In this article I explore the failures of transitional justice in post-war Sri Lanka. For most commentators this is simply explained in terms of a lack of political will. However, I argue that beyond this transitional justice in Sri Lanka is a story of epistemic violence. This is a result of its ove...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2023
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| In: |
International journal of transitional justice
Year: 2023, Volume: 17, Issue: 2, Pages: 322-338 |
| Online Access: |
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| Summary: | In this article I explore the failures of transitional justice in post-war Sri Lanka. For most commentators this is simply explained in terms of a lack of political will. However, I argue that beyond this transitional justice in Sri Lanka is a story of epistemic violence. This is a result of its over-reliance on abstract, universalist liberal democratic theory that fails to properly grasp the historical, cultural and socio-political specificity not just of the locations where transitional justice is proposed but of the conceptual foundation of transitional justice itself. As a result, transitional justice simultaneously discounts colonial legacies while reproducing colonial categories. In the case of Sri Lanka this has resulted in a failure to fully understand and address the root causes of conflict and an inability to see and draw upon resources for reconciliation, reparation and redress. |
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| ISSN: | 1752-7724 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/ijtj/ijad016 |