Indo-Lanka defence, Indo-Pak conflict and growing Indian footprint

At this moment, we as the common friend to the three states, need to strive to rebalance relations

Pakistan and China have traditionally been among Lanka’s most loyal friends, defending it at sittings on the UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC), when our country was accused of a plethora of rights violations. Since independence Lankan leaders also enjoyed cordial relations with India. However at crucial times especially at sessions of the UNHRC India remained strangely silent. 

During our near three decade war against terrorism (1983 to 2009), Pakistan provided arms and ammunition to the Sri Lanka government to help defeat the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). At that time Tamil militant groups had set up base in India which provided them with arms, ammunition and training facilities.

More recently however -during our financial melt down- India was our saviour. It provided us a huge line of credit of around USD four billion when no country was willing to provide us with credit. The facility helped us to import vital necessities the country needed at the time.

In an earlier era too (1952), our country faced a shortage of foreign exchange to import its requirements in rice due to a loss of foreign exchange caused by the US flooding the world market with synthetic rubber. This led to a drop in Lanka’s foreign exchange earnings and an inability to purchase vital imports including rice.

To help then Ceylon out of its predicament, China entered into a Rubber-Rice barter agreement. Under the agreement, China helped Lanka by purchasing rubber at above market prices under a barter programme. This helped Lanka overcome the shortage of foreign exchange. 

Angered at Lanka’s trading with China, the US imposed sanctions on our country invoking the “Battle Act” and halting shipments of food aid to the country.

It is against this background we have to view the ongoing deterioration in relations between India, China and Pakistan and our defence agreement. In the past, Sri Lanka successfully maintained a strategic autonomy. Today this situation has been queered due to Lanka having signed a defence pact with India. 

Our countrymen/women have been kept in the dark as to the contents of the defence agreement. Queering the pitch further, India is part of a military alliance known as the ‘Quad’, a group of four countries coming together to counter the rising influence of China. The United States is the leading partner in the ‘Quad’. 

Our defence agreement with India thus draws Lanka close to the US-aligned security grouping. It also puts Lanka on the side of India which is at odds with China. To make a bad situation worse, tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated after the recent terrorist attacks killed 26 Indian tourists in Kashmir. 

India alleges the group is sponsored by Pakistan. Already incidents of armed clashes are taking place along the Line of Control (LoC) between the two countries. Meanwhile the US which has never been sympathetic to our country’s needs is aggressively attacking China economically, imposing heavy tariffs on that country.

The recent signing of a defence pact between Lanka and India must necessarily strain our relations with China and Pakistan. Yet, both Pakistan and China have historically been our steadfast friends. Unfortunately our defence agreement with India has ended up making Sri Lanka appear a province or territory of India.

At this moment, we as the common friend to the three states, need to strive to rebalance relations. Rather than signing particular defence agreements, we should push for regional security/economic arrangements. This would also help protect our own sovereignty and independence.

In 1989-1990 the JVP led an armed uprising against the presence of troops of the Indian Peacekeeping Force (IPKF) in the country. In an ironic twist of fate, the defence agreement/pact signed by the JVP/NPP government and India has facilitated the entrenchment of India’s footprint on our shores. It has also aligned us with an anti-China coalition.

Within a short space of six months our new government seems to be backtracking on its promise of not surrendering our country’s independence to foreign domination.

It leaves one wondering whether this government has a foreign policy at all, or whether it is plain opportunism, which drives what it refers to as its ‘foreign policy direction’.