World Scientific Publishing Company Maritime Sri Lanka: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives

Product Description Being an island nation, the ocean is never too far from Sri Lanka. Situated right at the center of the world's busiest sea lanes of communication, the geography connects the country with the Indian Ocean, and its destiny is linked to this strategic body of water. For centuries, the Indian Ocean has been part of Sri Lanka's strategic, security, and political narratives. However, over the years, the country's involvement in the affairs of the Indian Ocean has retracted due to domestic and regional circumstances. Its consciousness of its ocean identity declined when it took an inward orientation which gave greater visibility to its South Asian identity, and its own imagination began to pivot towards the Indian hinterland. However, with the rising importance of the Indian Ocean in geopolitics, and with the end of the civil war, Sri Lanka's consciousness of its ocean identity has grown. Successive governments have formulated policies that would have paved its way to become the hub of the Indian Ocean, making the ocean the center of its economic development, maritime security, and defense relations. Amidst this backdrop, this book explores historical and contemporary perspectives on Sri Lanka's relations with the Indian Ocean. About the Author Dr Chulanee Attanayake a Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University Singapore (ISAS-NUS). Prior to joining ISAS, she served in government think-tanks in Sri Lanka including the Institute of National Security Studies Sri Lanka — the national security think-tank under the Ministry of Defence and the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies. She was also a Visiting Lecturer at the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies on Politics in South Asia and Politics in the Indian Ocean. Dr Attanayake obtained her PhD from the Central China Normal University in Wuhan, MA from University of Colombo, and BA from University of Peradeniya. Her research interest includes, Sri Lanka's foreign relations, China's resource diplomacy and its policies in South Asia, and politics in the Indian Ocean.