Abstract:
The focus of contemporary Peace discourse is on ensuring the "Security" of territorial integrity of the nation-state and the welfare of the citizens. However, the concept of "Security" in the advanced capitalist structure was criticized by the School of Socialist Feminism and Angela Davis is one of those school representations. Her criticism of "Security" develops on the state definition of "Terrorism".
This research is a theoretical extension of Angela Davis's argument on "Security". The research is, therefore, to deconstruct the predominate "Terrorist" discourse of the state, through the narratives of the former combatants in the Tamil Liberation movement of Sri Lanka. The research problem is, why do the former Tamil combatants find themselves "being threatened and insecure" by the Sri Lankan Government Post-War Peace Policy? One research question is set up with the problem; how do the former Tamil combatants understand the "Security". Qualitative data was collected in the research through semi-structured interviews with 25 former Tamil combatants living in the United Kingdom. The ethnographic method of participatory observation has also been utilized in collecting the narratives. The former Tamil combat identity is associated with "Terrorism" and "Terrorist", which has caused them to live in exile from their native land, Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan State became a threat to their security as the former combatants described; the Prevention of Terrorism Act is one of the cases. Their political consciousness was organized for Peace though they are still recognized as "Terrorists", excluding their voice on ethnicity, race, religion and gender.