Protecting Sri Lanka’s sovereignty

There is a disconcerting tendency among some sections of international opinion in particular to call on the Lankan state to reduce its Security Forces’ presence in the North or to dismantle its Army camps in the province. Such calls, naturally, prove controversial because they touch on the issue of this country’s sovereignty or on its inalienable right to determine matters that come under its purview entirely by itself.

We wish to remind these interfering busy-bodies that Sri Lanka is an independent country that is not obliged to listen to any external quarter on issues that relate to its internal affairs. This is not the ‘Age of Empires’ and it is a pity that this lesson is dying hard on particularly the West and some of their representatives. But it is best that this reality is borne in mind by all concerned because inter-state relations need to be conducted smoothly and with the best interests of the countries in question in mind.

It is left entirely to the Sri Lankan state to decide on issues relating to the country’s internal security. Of late some states and their functionaries have taken it on themselves to question this country on the advisability of retaining Security Forces’ camps in the North and on kindred questions, leading to the Lankan state being aghast because the question is a highly inappropriate and undiplomatic one that contravenes the most respected norms of inter-state conduct. Put baldly, it is an attempt at interfering in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka.

In the interest of cordial inter-state relations, states should desist strongly from attempting to advise each other on purely internal issues. A persistence with such unsolicited suggestions and proposals could be tantamount to undermining the sovereignty of the state concerned. Needless to say, a country’s sovereignty is something a self-respecting state would defend and uphold at any cost, and this needs to be always borne in mind by the international community.

We are not obliged to expatiate to the world, the rationale for the continuation of a military presence in the North. This is on account of the fact that the Lankan state is acting well within its inalienable rights by attending to its security and other vital needs. However, since these issues seem to be causing some concern among sections of the world community, for reasons which are not immediately clear, it is best that we make it known that the Lankan Security Forces maintain a presence all over the country, based on objective security considerations.

The Northern Province is not singled out in any way for the maintenance of a presence of this nature. If the security situation in any part of the country necessitates the setting-up Security Forces camps or other structures, such measures would be gone ahead with and the government is not obliged to explain to any quarter why such measures need to be adopted.

Accordingly, we hope the time-honoured principles in International Relations would be maintained by the world in its relations with Sri Lanka and complete non-interference in the internal affairs of each other, is one such cardinal principle such states always need to uphold. Sri Lanka is exemplary in this regard because it never considers it incumbent on itself to question the decisions of other countries, in so far as they relate to internal affairs.

Considering the foregoing, it is most appropriate that Sri Lanka is expanding the range of its inter-state ties. External Affairs Minister Prof, G.L. Peiris’ recent visits to countries that make common cause with us is most instructive in this regard. Russia and Kazakhstan, for instance, are two states with which ties of fraternity must be strengthened. Generally speaking, our ties must be firm with those countries whose economic might in particular is growing.

We also need to play a pivotal role in strengthening the Non-aligned Movement and in making it a force to be reckoned with in world politics. Nam should counter-balance the might of the West and this is one of the means through which the disproportionate weight of the West could be checked and its interference in our affairs lessened.