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A clear and accessible study of the principle of internal self-determination in international law.
List of contents
Acknowledgements; Table of Cases; Abbreviations; 1. Introduction; 2. A History of Internal Self-Determination; 3. Internal Self-Determination and the Populations of States; 4. Internal Self-Determination and Minority Groups; 5. Western and Third World Approaches to Internal Self-Determination; 6. Sri Lanka: A Case Study; 7. Hong Kong: A Case Study; 8. Internal Self-Determination in the Courts of Law; 9. Conclusion; Bibliography.
About the author
Kalana Senaratne is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Law, University of Peradeniya. He has previously worked in the governmental and non-governmental sectors, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process in Sri Lanka. He holds postgraduate degrees in law from University College London and the University of Hong Kong.
Summary
Internal self-determination is an under-explored topic in international law. It is popularly understood to be a principle of relatively recent origin, promoting democratic freedoms to populations and autonomy for minority groups within states. It has also been viewed as a principle receiving the support of Western states, in particular. In this first book-length critical study of the topic, the reader is invited to rethink the history, theory and practice of internal self-determination in a complex world. Kalana Senaratne shows that it is a principle of great, but varied, potential. Internal self-determination promises democratic freedoms and autonomy to peoples; but it also represents an idea which is not historically new, and is ultimately a principle which can be promoted for different and conflicting purposes. Written in a clear and accessible style, this book will be of interest to international lawyers, state-officials, minority groups, and students of law and politics.
Foreword
A clear and accessible study of the principle of internal self-determination in international law.
