Security should not be compromised for development
Comprehensive security is not defence alone – Part
III:
Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya
Rajapaksa |
A viable National
Security strategy needs to be aligned with the aspirations of the
people, and it must have public support. This will ensure the safety of
the nation. The government's prime duty is ensuring the safety of the
nation while guarding against various threats, states Defence and Urban
Development Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.
The Defence Secretary
was 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’.
Text of the speech:
Continued from
yesterday
Furthermore, as a result of the rapid economic and military
development of countries like India and China in recent decades, the
entire Asian region has become increasingly important in global affairs.
Because of Sri Lanka's important geostrategic position within the Indian
Ocean region, a great deal of attention is therefore placed upon it in
the present era. There is a possibility that some Western powers wish to
have a Sri Lankan government that is closely aligned with their
interests, and will seek to influence Sri Lanka's destiny so that it
cannot pursue the independent course it is following at present.
A third factor that has led to Sri Lanka's increasing importance in
the international arena involves regional power politics. The issues
between India and Pakistan, and the issues between India and China are
particularly sensitive in this regard. With the rise of China as a world
economic leader, there is a widespread belief that India feels insecure
and is seeking to align itself with the other powers that seem similarly
threatened by China's ascendancy. The likelihood of the United States
showing more interest in the region and aligning more with India is a
factor that may affect Sri Lanka. Further, its establishment of a base
in the Maldives is also changing the complexion of the region. These are
developments that need to be monitored from the point of view of Sri
Lanka's national security.
National Security Response
The final threat to Sri Lanka's National Security that I will
highlight during this lecture is the emergence of technology driven new
media including social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and other
websites on the Internet. We have seen the potential of this new media
to destabilise nations and affect serious change in the case of
countries like Tunisia, Libya, Egypt etc. Although the likelihood of
events such as the Arab Spring transpiring in Sri Lanka is minimal as a
result of it being a democratic nation with an extremely popular
political leadership that enjoys a very large electoral majority, this
is yet another threat that needs to be monitored. Particularly due to
increasing Internet penetration and computer literacy in Sri Lanka, many
of our youth are familiar with social media and use it as a tool to
gather information as well as propagate ideas. Those with vested
interests can exploit social media to cause problems in Sri Lanka by
propagating certain ideologies online and mobilising and organising
people. This can be done with a minimal physical presence, and therefore
forms a threat that is difficult to contain through the traditional
tools of national defence.
Kotelawala Defence University |
Considering the foregoing threat assessment, it is clear that despite
Sri Lanka being in a post-war situation in which most people are only
concerned about economic development, National Security remains very
much a core concern for the government. In addressing the challenges
discussed above and developing a comprehensive National Security
Strategy, it is important for the government to take a holistic view and
incorporate many of its elements into a single policy framework.
In terms of internal security, the best response to most of the
threats that we face is the development of the Intelligence Services.
Sri Lanka has two primary intelligence arms: the State Intelligence
Service and the Defence Intelligence, which comprises the Directorate of
Military Intelligence, Directorate of Naval Intelligence, and Air
Intelligence. In addition, the Police maintains the Special Branch,
while the Special Task Force also has its own Intelligence Division.
Furthermore, the Terrorist Investigation Department and Criminal
Investigation Department of the Police also work closely with the other
Intelligence agencies on matters relating to National Security.
In the past, the lack of strength and coordination among these
various intelligence services used to be a serious issue. It is
essential that they work together under a unified command structure in
order to improve coordination and enhance capabilities. Towards this
effect, one of the efforts undertaken by the present government has been
to bring these intelligence services under the Chief of National
Intelligence, who reports directly to the Secretary to the Ministry of
Defence. This has streamlined coordination and improved cooperation
among the intelligence agencies.
Another important development in this regard has been the augmenting
of resources allocated for the Intelligence function. After the war, the
number of military intelligence units have been increased and each
Security Force Head quarters now has its own Intelligence Unit. The
Intelligence personnel are being afforded more and more training in
order to enhance their capabilities and capacities, and as Sri Lanka
moves forward, it is hoped that the Intelligence agencies will be able
to keep track of and contain domestic National Security concerns.
Furthermore, although the requirement for offensive military
operations no longer exists in Sri Lanka, it is of the utmost importance
that our security measures are not relaxed. Although the military is not
engaged in law enforcement activities, and although their visible
presence has been greatly reduced, it is essential for the military to
be placed in strategic locations throughout Sri Lanka. Particularly in
the North and East, where we know that there are still potential threats
to National Security, it is essential to have a significant though
unobtrusive military presence. Some recent efforts of international
elements to reorganise pro-LTTE elements in the North underscores the
need for this. For example, the recent arrest of some youth in Jaffna
and Chennai who had been recruited by a Chennai based LTTE-linked group
funded by the LTTE's Europe based network, shows the utmost need to
remain vigilant in this regard.
International community
It must also be underscored that as a Sovereign nation, Sri Lanka has
every right to place its security elements in any part of the country it
so chooses. While some in the international community talk about the
so-called militarisation of the North and East, and some political
parties in Sri Lanka decry the presence of the military in these areas,
it must also be understood that the people of the North and East mostly
have a very cordial relationship with the military. Since the end of the
war, the military has been involved in a great deal of reconstruction
work, and they have also supported the people of the area to resume
their livelihoods. They have provided equipment and material for
agriculture, fishing and various types of assistance for small business
development. The increased attention given to Civic-Military affairs
also helps National Security because it helps the Armed Forces to win
the hearts and minds of the people in the former conflict areas.
National reconciliation
With regard to the work of the Defence services in the post-war
environment, it is also essential to expand the responsibilities of the
Navy and the Coast Guard. The protection of Sri Lanka's maritime borders
is of the utmost importance, and there is a great deal of responsibility
on these two institutions to safeguard our seas. The Exclusive Economic
Zone Sri Lanka enjoys needs to be protected, as it is a vital economic
asset. The Navy needs to get more naval assets so that it has the
ability to patrol or dominate the blue seas. It is also important to
improve the Navy's surveillance capabilities through augmenting its
Radars and adding a new air surveillance capability. The Air Force, too,
needs to improve it capabilities with regard to surveillance operations.
Another aspect of internal security that needs to be mentioned is the
rectification of weaknesses that we used to have with regard to the
national identity system. Because it was a manual, paper-based system,
criminal and terrorist elements could very easily obtain forged identity
cards.
This enabled the terrorists to operate throughout Sri Lanka under
various names and aliases; this is why the threat of suicide bombings
and other attacks in the rest of Sri Lanka was such a pressing problem
during the period of the war.
To address this critical weakness, the Registrar of Persons
Department was brought under the Ministry of Defence and Urban
Development, and a new identity card system that uses biometric
information will be introduced shortly. Similarly, the problem of people
coming into Sri Lanka and staying here illegally under false pretenses
will be addressed through the introduction of a proper border control
system in which biometric information will be incorporated into the
passport and international standards used for identity verification.
From the point of view of domestic security, perhaps the most
critical aspect will be the achievement of national reconciliation and
the forging of a common Sri Lankan identity. Economic development is an
absolute necessity in this regard. The fact remains that unless people
enjoy a reasonable standard of living, peace and reconciliation are very
difficult to achieve.
This is why the government has spared no expense or effort to develop
infrastructure and build up the North and East to a high standard. This
will enable the benefits of peace to flow down to the people of those
areas. When people know that they have the opportunity to achieve a
better future for themselves, it is highly unlikely that they will waste
their time on violent ideologies. The achievement of economic
development and national reconciliation are therefore two of the key
areas of focus of the government in the present national context.
Finally, with regard to external threats, it is of the utmost
importance that Sri Lanka maintains cordial relationships with its
allies. Despite the present pressure from Tamil Nadu, it is essential to
maintain a strong and healthy relationship with India. Relations with
the many countries that helped us in the past, both in economic terms
and through political support, should be strengthened further through
skilful diplomacy and further development of mutual ties.
It essential to further strengthen the existing cordial relationships
with powerful nations such as China and Russia, which have permanent
seats on the United Nations Security Council and can influence any
international action on Sri Lanka more significantly than other nations.
In this overall context, it is very important that the foreign policy of
Sri Lanka needs to be realistic. It is essential for Sri Lanka to have
close ties with certain powerful nations in the international community
in order to safeguard its National Security interests.
During the course of this lecture I have outlined the overall context
of Sri Lanka's National Security concerns; identified our most pressing
threats and discussed the broad outlines of the government's strategy to
deal with all these issues.
Ultimately, the best way to ensure that Sri Lanka remains safe and
strong in the future is for all of us to put aside the differences of
the past; unite as Sri Lankans, and work towards a better future for
ourselves and for each other.
Thank you.
Concluded
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