Comprehensive security is not defence alone
Guarding against various threats and ensuring the safety of the
nation is the first duty of the Government, because National Security is
the foundation of our freedom and our prosperity. As such, the
Government needs to be fully aware of all the issues that impact the
country in areas such as Defence, Foreign Policy, Economic Affairs and
internal Law and Order. It must formulate a comprehensive National
Security strategy to deal with them, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya
Rajapaksa said.
A viable National Security strategy needs to be aligned with the
aspirations of the people, and it must have public support, he said
addressing students following the National Interest Module of the
inaugural MPhil/PhD Programme of the Kotelawala Defence University. The
speech was on the topic, ‘Sri Lanka’s National Security Concerns’.
Ideally, if comprehensive security is to be ensured, it requires the
achievement of national cohesion, political and economic stability, the
elimination of terrorism, the countering of extremism, and the
formulation of effective responses to external challenges.
The Government must make every effort to keep aware of a continually
changing situation and take appropriate action in response to new
developments and challenges. It is only then that the safety of the
nation can be assured, the Secretary added.
Full text of the
speech:
I welcome you to this lecture under the National Interest Module of
the inaugural MPhil/PhD Programme of the Kotelawala Defence University.
The topic of this lecture
Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya
Rajapaksa |
is "Sri Lanka's National Security Concerns". As we all know, Sri
Lanka is one of the most peaceful and stable countries in the world
today. Our citizens are enjoying the benefits of peace and have complete
freedom and countless opportunities to build better futures for
themselves. At the same time, it must be understood that as with any
other sovereign nation, Sri Lanka faces potential threats from various
sources. Guarding against these threats and ensuring the safety of the
nation is the first duty of the Government, because National Security is
the foundation of our freedom and our prosperity. As such, the
Government needs to be fully aware of all the issues that impact the
country in areas such as Defence, Foreign Policy, Economic Affairs and
internal Law and Order. It must formulate a comprehensive National
Security strategy to deal with them.
A viable National Security strategy must constantly align ends with
means, goals with resources, and objectives with the tools required to
accomplish them. The strategy needs to be aligned with the aspirations
of the people, and it must have public support. Ideally, if
comprehensive security is to be ensured, it requires the achievement of
national cohesion, political and economic stability, the elimination of
terrorism, the countering of extremism, and the formulation of effective
responses to external challenges. The Government must make every effort
to keep aware of a continually changing situation and take appropriate
action in response to new developments and challenges. It is only then
that the safety of the nation can be assured.
In the course of this lecture on Sri Lanka's National Security
Concerns, I will examine the following areas:
* Sri Lanka's overall National
Security context
* The primary threats to our National
Security at present; and,
* The strategies that are being
formulated in response to these threats.
The Context of National Security in Sri Lanka
Kotelawala Defence University |
In the first several years after the achievement of Independence,
National Security did not need to be a primary concern of the Government
of Ceylon. As an independent Dominion of Great Britain, and as a
non-aligned nation with excellent relationships within and outside the
region, there were few pressing threats that the Government had to deal
with. As a result, the attention given to National Security was minimal,
as was the emphasis placed on the country's Defence apparatus. The
military was largely ceremonial. It only had to assist the Government on
occasions when there were issues such as public sector work stoppages or
riots. The need to strengthen law enforcement and the Armed Forces to
protect the nation against internal or external threats was not seen as
a pressing concern. The attempted coup d'‚tat in 1962 further reduced
the attention given to the Defence apparatus by the Government. Due to
fears that a strong military would be a threat to democracy, as had been
the case in some neighbouring countries during this period, funding for
the Armed Forces was drastically reduced and recruitments curtailed.
As a result of the weakening of the military, the country was not in
the best position to deal with the first major threat to its National
Security when it erupted in 1971. This was the first JVP Insurrection.
Although investigations into JVP activities had been going on for some
time, cutbacks to intelligence services, including the closure of the
Special Branch of the Police in 1970, had left the Government largely
unaware of the scale of the insurrection it was facing. The nation's
military was overstretched. In response to the Government's appeals for
help, India and Pakistan sent in troops to secure critical installations
while essential equipment and ammunition was provided by Britain and the
Soviet Union. Although the insurrection was successfully suppressed
within a short time, it had many consequences. One of the most crucial
from a historical perspective was that National Security became a much
greater concern both for the Government and for the general public. As
Ceylon became Sri Lanka in 1972, upholding National Security was one of
its foremost priorities.
In the late 1970s, Sri Lanka saw the emergence of the greatest ever
threat to its sovereignty in the form of the terrorism of the Tamil
separatist groups in the North and East. As the conflict worsened in the
early 1980s, particularly after the riots of 1983, the threat of
terrorism loomed large not only in the North and East but effectively
all over the country. The rise of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE),
and the likelihood of its attacks in public places fostered a deep
insecurity among the people.
There was significant loss of life, loss of property, and countless
lost opportunities to achieve economic development. The law and order
situation deteriorated as arms and ammunition started to flow to
criminal elements in the underworld. By the late 1980s, the second JVP
insurrection caused the further deterioration of the security situation
throughout Sri Lanka. As a result of the increasing instability and
violence, people began to lose some of their freedoms as more and more
intensive measures had to be taken by the state in trying to uphold
public security.
As the terrorism situation worsened, there was also an increasing
involvement of foreign powers and the international community in Sri
Lanka's internal affairs. During the early stages of the terrorist
conflict, India trained LTTE cadres in training bases established in
Tamil Nadu.
Many of the leaders of other separatist groups also frequented that
state. It is also important to note that several international Non
Governmental Organisations that were based in the North and East first
started to cooperate with the terrorist groups active in those areas
during this period. In 1985, India facilitated talks between the
Government of Sri Lanka and the separatist groups in Thimpu, Bhutan. The
talks collapsed due to the unrealistic demands made by the separatists.
These demands would have gravely affected Sri Lanka's sovereignty if
granted, and the Government had no choice but to refuse them. Fighting
soon resumed. By this time, the conflict transformed into one between
the state and the LTTE, which had used the ceasefire granted for the
Thimpu talks to destroy rival separatist groups.
As the fighting gained momentum, the emphasis given to National
Security by the Government also increased. For the first time, the
appointment of a Minister of National Security was seen as necessary.
The strength of the military was also significantly enhanced, with
larger recruitment drives, the acquisition of better assets, and
improved training to counter the growing threats. With its improved
capabilities, the military was able to make more and more progress in
fighting the terrorism of the LTTE.
For the first time, we also saw changes within the structure of the
military. The need for a coordinated effort to combat terrorism led to
the establishment of a Joint Operation Command to coordinate the three
Armed Services, Police and Intelligence Services in counter terrorism
operations. The military used battle formations for the first time, and
the requirement for a National Intelligence Bureau to coordinate the
intelligence services at a national level was also understood and
subsequently brought into being.
In 1987, the very successful Vadamarachchi Operation enabled the
Government to regain control of much of the North, leaving the LTTE on
the brink of defeat.
At this point, India intervened directly in the conflict by air
dropping humanitarian relief supplies over Jaffna. This led to the
abandonment of the Vadamarachchi operation, and the Indo-Lanka Accord
was signed in July of that year. This led to the induction of the Indian
Peacekeeping Force (IPKF) to the North of Sri Lanka, where it got
embroiled in conflict with the LTTE. After more than two years of
fighting, the IPKF withdrew from Sri Lanka in October 1990, and fighting
resumed between the LTTE and Government Forces.
Although there were several periodic attempts at peace talks, the
intensity of the war grew during the 1990s and in the early 2000s, with
several major battles being fought and much hardship suffered throughout
the country. The military was strengthened significantly to deal with
this threat. Specialised units such as the Commando Regiment and the
Special Forces Regiment of the Army, as well as the Special Boat
Squadron of the Navy were developed to deal with the increasing military
challenge posed by the LTTE in the North and East. However, in addition
to its battles with the military, the LTTE also frequently carried out
attacks against civilians in the rest of the country. Large bombings
took place in public locations in Colombo, killing thousands. Hundreds
more were massacred in vulnerable villages near LTTE dominated
territory. Critical installations and economic targets such as the
International Airport, Central Bank and the Kolonnawa Oil Refinery were
also ruthlessly attacked. In order to contain this very serious threat
to national security, precautionary measures had to be greatly increased
throughout the country. This led to the visible presence of soldiers on
the streets, the widespread use of checkpoints, frequent cordon and
search operations, and the constant upholding of the Emergency
Regulations, which gave wide-ranging powers to the military and law
enforcement agencies. The entire country was effectively on a war
footing.
In 2002, the next major development in the conflict was the signing
of the Ceasefire Agreement with the LTTE under mediation of Norway. This
event can also be viewed as the next major phase in the
internationalisation of Sri Lankan affairs as a result of the conflict.
The Peace Process that was entered into by the Government of the time
was facilitated by Norway, with the support of the representatives of
major donor countries, namely the European Union, the United States of
America and Japan.
Together with Norway, they comprised the four Co-Chairs of the Sri
Lankan Peace Process. A Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission was also
established, comprising members from Nordic countries, to supervise the
implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement. Despite their presence, the
LTTE continued to create instability in the country; assassinating its
key opponents including Lakshman Kadirgamar, the Sri Lankan Foreign
Minister, and carrying out occasional attacks against civilians.
In 2006, increasing provocations by the LTTE culminated in its
threatening of a humanitarian crisis by closing the vital Maavilaru
Sluice Gate. This was a crisis that affected the right to water of
thousands of households, and even affected national food security by
preventing the flow of water to many thousands of acres of agricultural
land. The Government intervened with a limited operation to reopen the
sluice gate, but was met with large-scale attacks by the LTTE on several
fronts. This led to the widening of the military campaign into the
Humanitarian Operation that ultimately freed Sri Lanka from terrorism.
The Humanitarian Operation required significant strengthening of the
military to enable its success. During the ceasefire period, the LTTE
had managed to strengthen its offensive capabilities significantly. It
had approximately 30,000 cadres in its ranks and a vast arsenal of
weapons and equipment that included heavy artillery, mortar, missiles,
rocket propelled grenades, and light aircraft.
To be continued |