`The first serious academic study of the Rajapaksa regime's manipulation of the international system, which enabled them to preside over mass atrocities and get away scot free.' Frances Harrison, former Sri Lanka correspondent for the BBC and author of Still Counting the Dead: Survivors of Sri Lanka's Hidden War `Incisively interrogates Sri Lanka's socio-political fabric under the Rajapaksa regime ... the book sheds new light on how the government got away with outrageous human rights violations, even after the war.' Sanjana Hattotuwa, Centre for Policy Alternatives (Sri Lanka) `Offers a fascinating account of the Sri Lankan government's tense relationship with the international community. Filled with sharp insights, Push Back will help us all have a better sense of where Sri Lanka may be headed.' Alan Keenan, Sri Lanka Project Director, International Crisis Group `A brilliant exposition of the end game in the Sri-Lankan civil war.' Kevin Clements, University of Otago `This important new volume is essential reading for those wishing to understand the decades-long conflict in Sri Lanka, the quest for accountability, and the challenges of building peace in the wake of conflict.' Chandra Lekha Sriram, University of East London 'Few inquiries have offered the theoretically incisive lens adopted here ... Combing a nimble, Foucauldian conceptualization of the rapidly changing landscape of global governance and notions of illiberal peacebuilding .' Matthew Godwin, Journal of South Asian Development 'An exceptionally detailed and carefully crafted study ... the book strikes an excellent balance between accessibility of style and empirical rigour ... a satisfying combination of facts and rigorous analysis that will be a vital source for anyone engaging in research, development or policy work in Sri Lanka now and in the future.' Commonwealth and Comparative Politics