Dilrook Kannangara

Ranil is back to his true self again. He is doing the same grave mistake his uncle did in the late 1970s. Instead of maintaining strict neutrality in global conflicts, he teamed up with USA. This attracted a strong and violent response from India, the Soviet Union and China which dragged the nation into a long a protracted war and another insurrection. However, when faced with an Indian invasion in 1987 JRJ’s pleas to USA went unheard! By the time JRJ left power, the entire country was under foreign invasion, Tamil terrorism and JVP insurrection. That is a very bad report card.

USA is looking for more cannon fodder as they do in Ukraine.

Sri Lanka navy has no business in the Red Sea. No Sri Lankan ship should be sent to the Red Sea. USA invited 39 countries to join its military action in the Red Sea and 30 of them rejected it! Even far more powerful navies flatly refused to send any warship to the Red Sea. As the saying goes fools dare where even angels dire to tread. This insanity and slave mentality of Ranil will again condemn Sri Lanka to another round of war and violence.

The clumsy excuse given by Ranil is that Houthi activities in the Red Sea can potentially raise the cost of freight and goods. This is as stupid as it comes! Sri Lanka has very little imports from the West of the Red Sea. Almost all imports come from India, China, Saudi Arabia (east of the Red Sea) and Singapore. He has been careless as well as dishonest for making up a misleading excuse.

Any Sri Lankan military presence in the Red Sea will be seen as an anti-Muslim military action by the Muslim world given the broader context of the ongoing conflict where Sri Lanka has no direct stake. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, etc. although Islamic countries have a stake in petroleum shipping in the Red Sea and it are adjacent to it. Therefore, it is understandable that they have joined USA to attack Houthis. Sri Lanka has no such excuse and Colombo must keep out for its own sake.