The Epistemic Violence of Transitional Justice: A View from Sri Lanka

Grewal, Kiran. 2023. The Epistemic Violence of Transitional Justice: A View from Sri Lanka. International Journal of Transitional Justice, 17(2), pp. 322-338. ISSN 1752-7716 [Article]

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Abstract or Description

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.

Item Type:

Article

Identification Number (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1093/ijtj/ijad016

Keywords:

Coloniality, epistemic violence, liberalism, Sri Lanka

Departments, Centres and Research Units:

Sociology

Dates:

DateEvent
24 June 2023Accepted
12 July 2023Published

Item ID:

34624

Date Deposited:

11 Jan 2024 09:41

Last Modified:

11 Jan 2024 09:46

Peer Reviewed:

Yes, this version has been peer-reviewed.

URI:

https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/34624

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