Everything is fair in war? Indian Peace Keeping Forces in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Peacekeeping forces have been an integral part of conflict, where other state and/or non-state
actors have intervened in conflicts to bring ‘peace’ and keep the ‘peace’ alive. Unfortunately,
peacekeeping forces have also, alongside warring parties, been reported of committing heinous
acts against the people in the war zone. Examples can be listed from the UN forces in Bosnia and
Haiti, DRC, or United States in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, and also the much less talked about
— Indian Peace Keeping Forces in Sri Lanka.
Throughout the bloody history of Civil war in Sri Lanka (1983-2009), several interventions have
taken place, and mostoy failed. IPKF (Indian Peace-Keeping Force) was sent to Sri Lanka from
1987 to 1990, What was at first construed as a relatively benign peacekeeping mission turned
into a full-fledged counterinsurgency operation, which several scholars call ‘India’s Vietnam’.
While the main motive of the IPKF was to establish peace and counter the LTTE ( and at times
Sri Lankan Army), IPKF was involved in crimes of rape and sexual violence against both Tamil
and Sinhalese population of the country.
Sri Lankan civil war, being an ethnic conflict in nature, had no space for India ( or Indians) as
key actors. Feminist theortists and researchers have provided detailed analysis on why warring
parties commit sexual violence against one another, what is interesting to study is why does
peacekeeping and external forces take part in such crimes. Is it the structural nature of
militarization of ‘conflict-ridden’ regions, or the larger concept of suppression, or mere
masculinity complex ( given that IPKF was mainly composed of male soldiers)?
This chapter offers the case of IPKF in Sri Lanka and sexual crimes commited by them during
the period of their intervention. Taking inspiration from various theoretical aspects discusses in
this volume, this chapter will offer insights into why peacekeeping forces commit crimes of
sexual nature. What promotes and re-instigates such behaviors in parties who are in war-space as
messiahs of peace?