Sri Lanka’s “NEUTRAL” Foreign Policy & conflict with Indo-US Pacific Strategy & ACSA
Posted on October 31st, 2020

Oath taking ceremony 19 Nov 2019

 

Sri Lanka

to remain neutral in our foreign relations and 

stay out of any conflicts amongst the world powers.

We request all foreign nations to respect

the sovereignty and the unity of our nation

In using the term neutrality, none of the QUAD states or any other partnering the Indo-US Pacific strategy with intent to go to war with another country, can use Sri Lanka’s territory. With the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka clearly defined under Hague Convention, the GoSL is bound to withdraw from ACSA with US. ACSA was signed on 4 August 2017 in secret, amidst much controversy. It has not been tabled in Parliament. No one knows the contents of it. Only 180 days’ notice is required for Sri Lanka to exit from the agreement. Sri Lanka should exit from ACSA.

We are well aware that the QUAD nations are signing defense pacts and engaged in maritime exercises in preparedness for a confrontation with China. This is certainly not to exchange roses with each other. Sri Lanka wishes to engage with all nations for development but not to be used as a platform to engage in rivalries or to have Sri Lanka used to launch attacks against other nations.

2017 United States National Security Strategy paper 

clearly identified China as a competitor to

American power, influence and interests”.

Sri Lanka’s Government & Foreign Ministry must make this clear in the 2-2 Ministerial Dialogue scheduled for 2021 decided after Pompeo’s visit to Sri Lanka. No US-Sri Lanka military training or naval training should be with intent to be used against China or any other country. Obviously 2021 is planned to rope in Sri Lanka to signing pacts with US along the Indo-US-Pacific Strategy and Sri Lanka must remain unfettered by the coercions at play.

Having weathered 2 insurrections by JVP, 3 decades of terror by LTTE – NO SRI LANKAN wishes to have Sri Lanka enter into any confrontations with external parties or have Sri Lanka used for interventions or skirmishes between countries. We are not willing to have Sri Lanka as a punching bag by powerful nations for their petty political games. We have always wanted to have good relations with all nations and that must continue to be the basis of our diplomacy.

What also needs to be added is that while NEUTRALITY is simply a stand taken, Sri Lanka is by signatory a Member of the Non-Aligned Charter and that membership is powerful and therefore Sri Lanka must continue to nurture ties with the Non-Aligned Members.

We have had ties with China & India when countries like USA, Canada, Australia, Singapore did not even exist. Our ties are long and old and we cannot forget the richness of those ties simply because we are living in the ‘modern’ and ‘development’ dictates ‘olden cultures and traditions’ to be taboo. When the world find itself returning to fundamentals and basics, Sri Lanka is ever reminded that old is gold and the past cannot be buried or forgotten.

We want to be friends with all and enemies of none.

Shenali D Waduge

4 Responses to “Sri Lanka’s “NEUTRAL” Foreign Policy & conflict with Indo-US Pacific Strategy & ACSA”

  1. Charles Says:

    We havn’t got to tag on with USA,India, Japan and Australia in any activities in their so calle Indo Pacific tie. Of the four only India has close connections to us, but India is toeing a wrong foreign policy the results of which would not be in the Interest of India or in the interest of its neighbpurhood. India would be better off with China than with USA. Though Japan is also Asian it has already sold their soul to USA. America speaks in a different language- a language that colonised and weakened both our own and India’s cultural and religious heirtage. So we have nothing common to be with USA and the West? But on the other hand China’s ties with are strong therefore why should not China and India tag along with China. That way India can settle its political and border problems with China.

  2. Ratanapala Says:

    India is the leper in the colony that is South Asia. The leper only recognizes his problems and not of those around him. The leper thinks if all others too become lepers, his sickness might become less significant socially!

    The others – The US, Japan, and Australia though important are just in the way. These countries being more powerful regionally – economy wise and militarily, Sri Lanka has to charter a difficult course through a Scylla and Charybdis situation gingerly and diplomatically without unnecessarily stepping on anyone’s toes.

    We only want them to leave us in peace, as we have suffered enough warfare already. Sri Lanka has no appetite to the be in the ground where elephants fight! The big question is will they allow us to? Elephants usually don’t take persimission from lesser minions as to where they choose to fight each other!

  3. aloy Says:

    Is GOSLgoing to do a tightrope walk or a bulldozer as in 20A in the case of ECT?. Perhaps that will be the straw that broke the camel’s back.
    Only time will tell and that could be a point of no return.

  4. vyasan Says:

    India is more concerned about the interests of the expatriate Indians in the USA, and the opportunities for the IT sector people and their remittance back to India, rather than the livelihood interests of Indians who live in India. Since the corporate world is connected to the USA and other Western countries, they pressurize the political leadership of India to side with the USA (and the West), eventually leading the country to be submisive to the intersts of the West.

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