{"id":91929,"date":"2019-08-03T18:33:05","date_gmt":"2019-08-04T01:33:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=91929"},"modified":"2019-08-03T18:33:05","modified_gmt":"2019-08-04T01:33:05","slug":"india-claims-sri-lankas-security-challenges-a-threat-to-india-who-is-a-bigger-threat-to-india-us-or-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2019\/08\/03\/india-claims-sri-lankas-security-challenges-a-threat-to-india-who-is-a-bigger-threat-to-india-us-or-china\/","title":{"rendered":"India claims Sri Lanka\u2019s security challenges a threat to India. Who is a bigger threat to India \u2013 US or China?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The prima facie case for India to interfere\nin Sri Lanka\u2019s internal affairs is to cite that any instability happening in\nSri Lanka becomes an automatic national security threat to India. While the\nargument definitely has merit, it begs to question how far India has chipped\ninto aggravate Sri Lanka\u2019s instability vis a vis helping regime change in 2015\n& thus virtually inviting the enemy to Sri Lanka\u2019s shores. While all\ncountries do not have permanent friends but permanent interests, it is good for\nIndia to determine who the greater enemy is. To India\u2019s surprise it should now\nrealize India\u2019s enemy is not China! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

India\n& US<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

India was used as a key base during World War\n2 against Japan. Ironically India was also the main US base for aid to China.\nPost-independence, India\u2019s non-aligned policy was not regarded as \u2018democratic\u2019\nby US.  Dwight Eisenhower became the\nfirst US President to visit India in 1959.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

India was considered a strategic partner\nagainst Communist China during JFK\u2019s Presidency & supported India during\nthe Indo-Sino war of 1962. US supplied arms, ammunition & clothing to\nIndian troops. Following JFK\u2019s assassination in 1963, President Lyndon Johnson\nbegan forging ties with Pakistan while President Nixon developed closer ties\nwith Pakistan while Indira Gandhi began closer links with Soviet Union. It was\nno surprise that US went on to support Pakistan during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan\nwar. Following Moraji Desai becoming Prime Minister, India\u2019s relations began to\nimprove though US barred exporting any nuclear material to India in 1978. With\nIndira Gandhi returning to power, India did not support US against Soviet Union\nin Afghanistan. However, PM Vajpayee authorized nuclear weapons testing which\nUS imposed economic sanctions against India under President Clinton. Ironically\nonly Japan joined US in imposing sanctions! In 2004 Pakistan was declared a\nMajor Non-NATO Ally status to Pakistan & same status was offered to India\nbut was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In January 2004, the US and India launched\nthe “Next Steps in Strategic Partnership” (NSSP),<\/p>\n\n\n\n

US & India signed a 10 year defense\nframework agreement in 2005 (lapsed in 2015) as well as the Open Skies\nAgreement. President Bush visited India in March 2006 and bilateral trade\ntripled. President Obama visited India in 2010 & again in 2015 &\npromoted India\u2019s bid for a permanent seat in UNSC & US became one of the\ntop 3 military suppliers to India (after Israel & Russia)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2010 leaked Edward Snowden documents\nrevealed US intelligence agencies were spying on PM Modi. Wikileaks also\ndisclosed how western NGOs and foreign aid workers are also being used for\nspying prompting India to monitor aid agencies operating across India. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was also in 2010 that US-India re-engaged\nthe US-India Strategic Dialogue declaring India as an \u2018indispensable partner\nand a trusted friend\u2019 which pledged to increase people to people, business to\nbusiness, government to government linkages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite public sentiments of how great\nIndo-US ties are in 2013 sough explanation from US for spying on Indian UN\nMission in New York & Indian embassy in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can recall the Devyani Khobragade incident\nin December 2013 where she was strip-searched and put in a cell. Though India\ndemanded an apology from the US, the US declined to do so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Narendra Modi became India\u2019s PM in May 2014.\nIncidentally, the same US that revoked Modi\u2019s B1\/B2 visa in 2005 & refused\nto accept his application for an A2 visa is today the of pals with Modi! US\nSecretary of State John Kerry flew to Delhi in August 2014 & Modi visited\nIndia in September 2014. The Post-2015 Development Agenda featuring bilateral\nrelations between India & US culminated in Modi\u2019s visit to US is of importance\nto Sri Lanka vis a vis regime change of January 2015. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noteworthy too is the visit of US Defense\nSecretary Ashton Carter to India in June 2015 becoming the 1st<\/sup> US\ndefense secretary to visit an Indian military command while M Parrikar visited\nUS in December 2015 becoming the 1st<\/sup> Indian defense Minister to\nvisit US Pacific Command. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in March 2016 India refused a\nproposal by US to join naval patrols in South China Sea joining US partners\nJapan & Australia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modi was to visit US again in June 2016 and\nagain in November 2017. Noteworthy is the US giving a grant of $500,000 to\npromote religious freedom in India & Sri Lanka. This is an indication of\nwho would be used as mischief makers in the future! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, when India signed a historic\n$5.43billion agreement with Russia in October 2018 to purchase the most\npowerful missile defense system in the world which ignored America\u2019s Countering\nAmerica’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act\u201d CAATSA (<\/strong>a federal law imposing\nsanctions on Iran, North Korea & Russia \u2013 passed in July 2017) the US threatened sanctions against India. US\nalso threatened sanctions against India for its decision to buy oil from Iran. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

US has several\nagreements with its defense partners   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. General Security of Military Information Agreement\n(GSOMIA), was signed in 2002 entails sharing of military intelligence to\nprotect the other\u2019s classified information<\/li>
  2. Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), was\nsigned on 29 August 2016 \u2013 entails either military to use each country\u2019s bases\nfor re-supplying or carrying out repairs & requires individual clearance\nfor each request.<\/li>
  3. Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement\n(COMCASA) signed in September 2018 \u2013 enables both countries to share secure\ncommunication on approved equipment during bilateral\/multinational training\nexercises & operations<\/li>
  4. Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) has not\nbeen signed yet \u2013 this permits exchange of unclassified & controlled\nunclassified geospatial, topographical, nautical, aeronautical data, products\n& services between US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency & India <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    There are 2.4million Indian immigrants living\nin US either born in India or reported Indian<\/strong> ancestry \u2013 while the list\nof prominent Indians in US political & corporate scene are many, notable\nnames include Democratic party senator and presidential hopeful Kamala\nHarris; former US ambassador to the United Nations and governor of South\nCarolina Nikki Haley; and former Louisiana governor and 2016 Republican\npresidential nominee hopeful, Bobby Jindal. Surveys show more than 65% of\nIndian Americans back the Democrats.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    More than 196,271 Indian students attend US\ncolleges & universities (2018) while 4,704 American students are studying\nin India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    US FDI inflow US<\/strong>$ 4.28 billion in 2001\nit is now $42billion in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In August 2018, US granted India Strategic\nTrade Authorization-1 status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    US is India\u2019s 2nd<\/sup> largest trading\npartner while India is America\u2019s 9th<\/sup> largest trading partner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    US exported $33b worth goods to India in 2018<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    US imported $54b worth goods from India in\n2018<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    India exported $58.9b worth goods to US in\n2018<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    India imported $83.2b worth goods from US in\n2018<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In 2016, Washington designated India as a\nmajor defence partner\u201d. Washington even changed the name of its Pacific\nCommand to the US Indo-Pacific Command<\/strong>.\nIndian purchases of US military equipment are rising, and joint military\nexercises are growing in frequency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The new love for India is to use India to\nbalance power in the larger Indo-Pacific against Chinese & Russian\npresence. How far India\u2019s own strategic objectives will cater to America\u2019s\ngeopolitical objectives is left in the hands of India\u2019s policy makers, however,\nIndia must realize the dangers that comes with US presence & increased\nties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Indo-Sino\nRelations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Leaving aside the historical linkages, formal\ndiplomatic relations began in April 1950 and 4 years later both signing an\n8-year agreement on Tibet known as the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence\n(Panchsheel). Both countries unfortunately embroiled in artificial boundaries\ncreated by colonial British \u2013 McMahon Line is prime example and this resulted\nin a border war in 1962 and it is no surprise that China backed Pakistan during\nthe Indo-Pak war of 1965. China sided with Pakistan during the 1971-72 war with\nIndia. It was in 1978 that India\u2019s External Affairs Minister Vajpayee visited\nBeijing and diplomatic relations were re-established in 1979 and in 1981\nChina\u2019s Foreign Minister Huang Hua visited Delhi. Rajiv Gandhi visited China in\nDecember 1988 (a year after signing the Indo-Lanka Accord with Sri Lanka). From\n1990s regular visits to both nations by officials was frequent \u2013 Sharad Pawar\nbecame the first Indian Minister of Defense to visit Beijing in 1992 and that\nsame year consulates were opened in Mumbai & Shanghai. The declaration by\nIndian Defence Minister George Fernandes in my perception of national\nsecurity, China is enemy no. 1\u2026 and any person who is concerned about India\u2019s\nsecurity must agree with that fact\u201d did not help relations a bit. In 2003 China\nrecognized Indian sovereignty over Sikkim and by 2004 bilateral trade surpassed\n$10billion & $73billion by 2011. China was granted observer status in the\nSAARC \u2013 South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation while most members\nwish that status to be upgraded to a permanent membership. Border trade\nre-commenced after 44 years in 2006 with the re-opening of Nathula Pass. The\nsame year conflict arose over claims on Arunachal Pradesh \u2013 which China claims\nis a territory of China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The British via Simla Accord of 1913 claimed\nChina had suzerainty over Tibet but not sovereignty. Britain reversed this on\n29 October 2008 recognizing China\u2019s sovereignty over Tibet & this position\naffects the rest of the Simla Accord where India claims North Eastern\nterritories. But in 2009 ADB claimed Arunachal Pradesh as being part of India\nin approving a development loan and despite China\u2019s insistence on ceasing the\nloan backing by US & Japan helped secure the loan for India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Business relations increased with the arrival\nof 400 Chinese business leaders to India in 2010. Indo-Sino relations took a\npositive turn during the 2012 BRICS summit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, the artificial borders created by\nBritish still posed conflicts between the two nations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    India’s exports to China – $53 billion (2018)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    India\u2019s imports from China \u2013  US$ 70 million (2018)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Chinese exports to India – $29.17 billion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There are close to 15,000 Indians studying in China<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There are close to 7000 Chinese living in India <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Issues between India\n& China<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Border issue \u2013\nartificial McMahon Line border created by colonial Britain. China claims\nArunachal Pradesh is part of South Tibet.<\/li>
    2. Tibet \u2013 conflict persists\nthough India has recognized Tibet as part of China<\/li>
    3. Water issue &\ndiverting dams \u2013 4 rivers descending from 4 directions of Mount Kailash in\nTibet to Indian subcontinent (to Brahmaputra, Ganga, Sutlej River, Indus)<\/li>
    4. Dalai Lama \u2013 an unnecessary\nspoiler to relations between the two<\/li>
    5. India boycotted the\nBelt & Road Summit for the 2nd<\/sup> time which aims to rediscover the\nancient Silk Road to connect Asia to Europe and Africa involving massive\ninvestments in maritime, road and rail projects. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Issues between India\n& US<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      • In 2019 US suspended Indian trade privileges from GSP \u2013\n28 specified US imports to India are subject to higher rates to which India\nresponding by increasing tariffs on US products to India. <\/li>
      • India purchasing oil from Iran was not well received by\nUS<\/li>
      • procurement of the S-400 missile system from Russia\ninspite of veiled threats by US – India may become victim of Washington’s\nCountering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which\nthreatens to impose sanctions on certain companies that cooperate with Russia<\/li>
      • Trump raising issue of Kashmir has not made India too\nhappy<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Killing Hope: U.S. Military and C.I.A. Interventions\nsince World War II by William Blum presents 55 such US interventions with 22\ncountries invaded in last 20 years. US is the only country to have used the\natomic bomb twice, US has invaded, occupied, bombed 14 Muslims countries, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        According to an international survey, US is the biggest\nthreat to world peace & stability. The U.S. leads the world in military\nspending, with more than US$7.6 trillion spent on the military and homeland\nsecurity since 9\/11. U.S. is the world\u2019s largest incarcerator of people \u2013 2.3m\nprison inmates of which 1m are Black Americans. Drug-war related violence\nacross Latin America is also directly linked to US militarizing the region for\ndrug wars!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        US record list covers overthrowing democratically elected\nleaders (Chile, Iran,, Guatemala) imposing dictatorships (Congo), invading Iraq\n& Afghanistan on lies, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Al Qaeda, ISIS all trace to US and ironically wherever US\nwants to invade or strike its forced presence, Islamic jihadists \u2018facilitate\u2019\nthat project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        So, when Sri Lanka faced a regime change in 2015\ninstalling US puppet and thereafter rolled out through them a series of pro-US initiatives\nthat has culminated in the possibility of turning entire Sri Lanka into a US\nbase with MCC project together with the privatizing of Land becoming further\nnational security threats to Sri Lanka, the Easter Sunday attacks should have\nrang alarm bells to India\u2019s policy makers that it has done a major faux pas in\nhelping the 2015 regime change because all of America\u2019s actions post Jan-Aug\n2015 has come about leaving India in the cold. Other than the intel on the 21\/4\nattacks, India has been ignorant of America\u2019s maneuvers vis a vis all of its initiatives\nin Sri Lanka and this should worry India. America\u2019s constant use of faith-based\norganizations, NGOs, local stooges, paid media are all influencing local\nsystems both in Sri Lanka & India. The break-up of India along the lines of\nSoviet Union & Yugoslavia has been given prior warning & the use of Sri\nLanka for this initiative as well as an alternative to Diego Garcia to block\nRussia & China trade & military initiatives is something Sri Lanka\u2019s\npolicy makers & India\u2019s policy makers in particular should worry about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        India may have had tiffs with China but the damage US is\ncapable of doing to countries without remorse can be seen by its own record\nsheet of military invasions\/interventions based on lies and the manner it has\ndeposed elected leaders & placed puppets & despots. The manner that US\nhas made inroads into Sri Lanka should by itself be a wake-up call to realize\nthat it is not China that will become a national security threat to India. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        All these years India has been parroting that Sri Lanka\u2019s national security is important for India\u2019s national security, well India better wake up to the fact that the enemy was invited to Asia by India & we now question what India is going to do about it before it becomes a menace to Sri Lanka, India, the region & entire Asian continent. We do not wish to have what happened to Latin America, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa to happen to Asia as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Shenali D Waduge<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        The prima facie case for India to interfere in Sri Lanka\u2019s internal affairs is to cite that any instability happening in Sri Lanka becomes an automatic national security threat to India. While the argument definitely has merit, it begs to question how far India has chipped into aggravate Sri Lanka\u2019s instability vis a vis helping […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1498,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-91929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-shenali-waduge"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1498"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91929"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91929\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}