11 April 2016 12:00 am
Alongside reports of renewed goodwill, what do we make of the Prime Minister’s remarks at a naval officers commissioning ceremony in Trincomalee days before his departure to Beijing? In this speech he calls on the SL Navy to ready themselves to ‘protect international trade routes from the Maldives to the Straits of Malacca’ – clearly aligning himself with US strategic interests in the region.
It’s relevant to note that the PM’s comments come in the wake of the Indian government having ruled out participating in joint patrolling in the Asia Pacific region as suggested by the US. According to reports India also declined to participate in a quadrilateral dialogue along with Japan and Australia, proposed by US Pacific Command chief Admiral Harry Harris who was in Delhi last month. The purpose of the exercise was to counter China in the South China Sea. With the regional power India demonstrating caution, is Sri Lanka ‘rushing in where angels fear to tread?’
Whether the PM’s pro-US inclinations have the endorsement of the president or reflect the views of the coalition government is not clear, given the contradictory remarks made by the country’s president, prime minister and foreign minister at different times, in different places. Where the US is concerned however, there is little doubt that its motives in relation to Sri Lanka are strategic. Sri Lanka was mentioned by the US PACOM chief Harris in his statement before the US’s House Armed Services Committee in February, where he said:
“Given Sri Lanka’s strategic location, it is in America’s interest to increase military collaboration and cooperation. As conditions permit, USPACOM will expand military leadership discussions, increase Naval engagement, and focus on defence institution building in areas such as demobilizing and military professionalism.”
Why ‘demobilising?’
In spite of the clearly strategic orientation of US interests in Sri Lanka, the docking of the flagship of the US 7th fleet, USS Blue Ridge in Colombo two weeks ago drew little media attention. Senior military leaders of the two countries met on board the Blue Ridge ‘to discuss operational issues’ according to a statement from the Commander, 7th Fleet. The term ‘operational’ would suggest something more than joint exercises.
At a reception aboard the war ship US Ambassador Atul Keshap had said he hoped “this would be the first of many war ships to come.” In Sri Lanka few were even aware that President Maithripala Sirisena toured the vessel, which was in port from 26-31 March. It’s interesting that Thomas Shannon, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs observed not just once but in two separate speeches during a visit in December that Trincomalee had ‘one of world’s finest natural deep water ports.’ The string of visits to Sri Lanka by US officials who, on arrival, make a bee-line to Jaffna and Trincomalee, should by now have given a clue to the nature of the US’s heightened interest in this previously unimportant island.
“What better base for the USA’s massive 7th Fleet than the natural harbour of Trincomalee?” said
and many others …” he said.
Vasudeva Nanayakkara, leader of the Democratic Left Front told the Daily Mirror “How can Sri Lanka protect international navigation unless there’s a tie-up with a very powerful navy – the support of the 7th fleet, who will ultimately use Trincomalee as a base.”
Nowadays the US secures its interests abroad discreetly, through agreements signed by friendly states of their own free will rather than military occupation. The Government needs to be more cautious in its utterances about arrangements with the US in military matters, and more transparent about agreements. It took 10 years for the US to ‘come close’ to signing a logistics agreement with India that would allow the two countries’ militaries to use each other’s resources for refuelling and repairs, according to a New York Times report of 2.3.16. While the yahapalana government continues to pay lip service to Non-Alignment, it would appear that those principles are being dangerously undermined behind the smokescreen of its muddled
foreign policy.