Internal Self-Determination in International Law

History, Theory, and Practice

Kalana Senaratne

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN:
  9781108484404
• eBook ISBN:
  9781108617130
• Topic: Law
• Subtopic: International Law
• Index: Law

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.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title
• Title page
• Copyright information
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Table of Cases
• List of 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
• Index