The Influence of the Civil War on Mahinda Rajapaksa's Foreign Policy in Sri Lanka during 2005- 2015: Comparative Foreign Policy Analysis

Seminar paper from the year 2016 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Region: South Asia grade: 27.5/30 University of Colombo (Department of International Relations) course: BA International Relations language: English abstract: Mahinda Rajapaksa elected as a fifth executive president of Sri Lanka on 19th November 2005. Rajapaksa government terminated thirty years-long civil war in Sri Lanka under the pressure of various internal and external dynamics. Mainly the military concerns of the country directed Rajapaksa regime to formulate a strategic foreign policy to maintain the foreign relations. The government subjected to many foreign accusations including war crimes and human rights violations. Rajapaksa government exercised several foreign policy tactics to reach the world including the western world. This sporadic feature of the foreign policy shaped by the civil war influence of Sri Lanka. Rajapaksa foreign policy since 2005 to 2015 was a critical juncture of Sri Lankas foreign policy decision-making process. With these concerns the research paper opens the flow of analysis on Mahinda Rajapaksa foreign and the civil war influence to Rajapaksa foreign policy formulations.