This book explores the relationship between minority rights, self-determination and secession within international law, by contextualising these issues in a detailed case study of the rise of Tamil separatism in Sri Lanka. Welhengama and Pillay show how Tamil communalism hardened into secession and assess whether the Sri Lankan government has met its obligations with respect to the right to self-determination short of secession.

1. Introduction 2. The Island and its People 3. The gift of Empire 4. The Dawn of Communalism 5. The role of Tamil Politicians of the time: The Ponnambalm Brothers 6. Winter of Discontent: Tamil Communalism 7. Politicians who championed communalism: G.G. Ponnambalm 8. The Emergence of Federalism 9. Edging Towards Secession. 10. Tamil separatism. Was it due to Sinhala Communalism? 11. Tamil Eelam by Virtue of Self-Determination 12. Devolution of Power as a Solution to the Ethnic Conflict of Sri Lanka 13. Conclusion

G. Welhengama is now retired but was previously principle of the Liverpool Community College. He was a lawyer and judge in Sri Lanka and also stood as an MP for the Rajapaksha party in Sri Lanka, before teaching at Liverpool John Moores University in the Faculty of Law.

Nirmala Pillay is senior lecturer in law at Liverpool John Moores University, UK.