By  The Sri Lanka Study Circle 

Mr Biden, we the members of the Sri Lanka Study Circle in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, a founding member of the Non Aligned Movement – the largest organised grouping of nations after the UN –  that initiated a UN General Assembly Resolution in 1971 which was unanimously adopted by the entire world to make forever the Indian Ocean a zone of peace within which area no nuclear weapons whatsoever  would be permitted, looked on with grave concern at the conduct of your recently concluded Presidential Elections, fraught with massive voter fraud, as alleged with conviction by both you and Mr Trump.  

We were concerned because your country has the most destructive military capability in the world and this military-machine, operating out of a country badly divided down the middle and unstable, could have catastrophic consequences to the peace and harmony of the world. 

 In this context, your country’s track record in recent times in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Venezuela, to name a few, did not give us the solace we desired.  

Our wishes go out to you that you will be blessed with the strength of character necessary to bring peace and stability to your very divided country and to heal the deep wounds caused by the wide chasm, between the rich and poor, that was sharply exacerbated during the Elections. 

We pray and trust that once you restore peace in your country, the US will take its rightful position in the global assembly of Nations, as an equal among other Nations and shed illusions of being a primus inter pares.  

We would like to remind you, as President Elect of the US, that Sri Lanka is a committed Non-Aligned State, not swayed by any Power because of its military or economic might; we take our stand on global issues, as a Non-Aligned State, according to the moral rectitude of the issue facing us.  

This is a principled stand Sri Lanka takes, as highlighted by successive Governments, for which the people have given their unconditional mandate. 

We do not stay immorally ‘Neutral’ and look the other way, if the situation demands outright condemnation and effective action.  

To make our stance better understood, if, God forbid, there were ever to be a holocaust like what the world faced not too long ago or if mass drone murders were taking place, as at present, we shall, as a Non-Aligned State, take a definite stand on such issues by condemning such conduct and pressing in the international forum for retributive justice.  

We were mildly amused but more embarrassed by the invention and oxymoronic usage of a geo-political concept by some persons, posing off as pundits, who made a travesty of their posts by talking of ‘Neutral-Non-Alignment’. 

Mr. Biden, we like to take this opportunity to rectify certain inaccuracies conveyed in some communiques issued by the US, that we have a shared vision for the world. The scope of our respective visions is so disparate that we do not share a common platform on many matters; if it is peace, yes, we share that value with you. If it is regarding the type of governance, we practice, we do not have a common vision.  

Your Government is a Government based on Capitalism, where development is led by the private sector and where private interest prevails over public interest. The factors of production are mostly in the hands of the private sector.  

Ours, Mr. Biden, as reflected in our Constitution, is a Socialist State where public interest prevails over private interest; that is how 83% of the country’s Land -one of the key factors of production – is held by the Government, on behalf of the people, for the common good and use of the people.  

The MCC programme as proposed by the US, requires the privatisation of all State Land; the very idea, whether practised through the MCC or otherwise is subversive because it subverts our Constitution and is opposed by the majority of the people. And subversion of the country and the Constitution is a Capital offence.  

We believe that divergent forms of Government can co-exist and countries can live peacefully in the world respecting each other’s Sovereignty.  

We wish you once again the very best in your endeavours to heal the deep wounds of your country and urge you to shed illusions of grandeur and work instead towards making the Indian Ocean a zone of Peace.