On the Right Side of History

by Dr Sarala Fernando

The visit to Sri Lanka by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been amply analyzed in the press, commenting on its timing, agenda and impact on domestic public opinion. Mr Pompeo’s warm words of friendship “the US seeks to strengthen partnerships with democratic, peaceful, prosperous and fully sovereign Sri Lanka” reminded me of my first posting as a young diplomat to Washington D.C. in 1977. There, the State Department desk officer for Sri Lanka mentioned that they regarded Sri Lanka as an “unreliable” country, the only country against which Congressional sanctions had been imposed, stopping all US aid, namely the Hickenlooper Amendment and the Battle Act in the 1960’s, for nationalizing the foreign oil companies and trading with an “enemy” nation (China). These remarks by the desk officer showed scant respect for the sovereignty of small countries and unwarranted given the history of US-China relations, when by 1970-1971 President Nixon had taken the initiative to contact Beijing with which it had had no relations for 25 years and finally made that historic visit to Beijing to normalize relations in Feb 1972.

By way of contrast, elsewhere in the world, Sri Lanka has earned a solid reputation for its non-aligned foreign policy and a reliable all-weather friend, which has earned valuable reciprocation over the years . The best known examples include standing by Japan at the San Francisco Peace talks, standing with China even if it meant the loss of US aid, and support to Vietnam during the years of the US led war. I remember Vice President Binh, when I presented credentials in Vietnam in the late 1990’s , having warm words of friendship for Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Sri Lanka’s support during the difficult war time years. In the 1980’s as a young diplomat in Kenya, so many times I would meet friendship and warm smiles from people of different levels in society, as Mrs Bandaranaike was remembered as the world’s first woman prime minister, Chair of the Non Aligned movement, a considerable achievement in those days. When there was talk of an adversarial action on human rights during my tenure of office in Geneva (2004-2007), I remember the solidarity of the Asian Group, and how delegation upon delegation stood with Sri Lanka, recalling Sri Lanka’s support extended to them in times of their need. There was noticeable silence from our Big Neighbour due to the Tamil Nadu factor and also India’s moving towards accommodation on human rights with the West.

The Pompeo visit to South Asia in the dying days of the Trump Presidency, had as objective the consolidation of the US- India security partnership in the Indo- Pacific. News reports quoted the Pentagon that bilateral defence sales were at an all time high, with “India operating US sourced platforms such as P-8s, C-130Js, C-17s, AH-64s, CH-47s and M777 howitzers “and the bilateral strategic partnership advancing at a “historic” pace based on inter-operability and sharing of aerial intelligence. This visit was also to consolidate the Quad, a security pact between US, India, Japan and Australia openly proclaimed by the US as intending to counter Chinese “aggression” in the Indo Pacific region. By taking a leadership role in the Quad, India has signaled how far it has moved from the basic principles of Panchaseela and Non-alignment, which has been commented on in numerous articles.

In this context, it was understandable that ahead of the Pompeo visit to Sri Lanka, there had been considerable press attention and debate in the island on India-Sri Lanka relations and adverse public reaction to the military buildup in the region. There were also some domestic political maneuvers to shift India’s traditional support to Sri Lanka being conditional on the “full implementation of the 13th Amendment”. Some believe Foreign Secretary Colombage’s kow- tow to India describing the island’s new maritime security policy as putting “India first” was part of such manoeuvres which however failed to shift the Indian traditional position. But if it was intended to suggest something more, i.e. that Sri Lanka should function within India’s security umbrella, such a policy shift would have had short shrift in domestic public opinion due to many historical circumstances. To take just one example, during the “decade of confrontation” with India in the 1980’s, India had made clear its suspicions of Sri Lanka’s proximity to the US and alleged US interest in the Trincomalee oil tanks and VOA. Now it seems, India has made a 100 % turn, seeking instead to strengthen its bilateral security partnership with the US! So the question to be asked is why Sri Lanka should veer from side to side as the new “Cold War” looms in Asia, and what would that imply for the independence and credibility of our foreign policy?

It was widely criticized that Mr Pompeo used his stopover in Sri Lanka to go on the offensive against China, calling the Chinese Communist Party a “predator” – unusual diplomatic practice, embarrassing to the hosts during an official visit. In this background it was good to hear that President Rajapaksa in his meeting with Mr Pompeo was forthright and courteous in explaining Sri Lanka’s foreign policy of neutrality and friendship with all while correcting the allegation of “debt trap” often leveled against China . Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardene also underlined the three pillars of “neutrality, non-alignment and friendship with all” while highlighting the positive elements of the US-Sri Lanka relationship, the shared values and longstanding people to people contacts. Both President Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena welcomed American economic cooperation, trade and investment however there was no mention of any signing of the pending MCC or SOFA agreements which some believe are essential elements of the US Indo-Pacific strategy.

As for the Quad, Sri Lanka’s support so far has been limited to hosting conferences on maritime security, and this too is receding, from the previous gala event under Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe now down to a NGO conference last week by Pathfinder Foundation with funding from Japan, seeking to facilitate free and unimpeded navigation for all parties in the Indo-Pacific, without exception and exclusion (a far cry indeed from Mr Pompeo’s China-bashing). Unfortunately for this talk-fest by academics and retired diplomats, issues of maritime security were overshadowed by an environmental crisis when for the first time in Sri Lanka, a pod of some 120 short fin pilot whales beached in Kalutara. Environmental activists charged that acoustic threats from navy sonars during the Malabar naval drills by the Quad in the vicinity had disoriented the marine mammals. Indeed, in the US, pressure from law suits by environmental activists and judicial orders have already led to the US navy codifying a number of important operational safeguards for training exercises using sonars including underwater surveillance on safety for marine mammals, 25 mile exclusion zones around coastlines, biologically important areas, marine sanctuaries etc. An international campaign for a global ban on LFA sonars affecting marine mammal gathering areas is gaining momentum. Fortunately the Sri Lanka navy took a leading role in the Kalutara whale rescue operation and had not participated in the Quad drills, this time around.

While there is no support in Sri Lanka for US led militarization in the Indian Ocean, it should be noted that the American brand is strong in Sri Lanka encompassing both high tech and cultural assets ranging from music and film to food and clothing. America’s image abroad will benefit from the Biden Presidency which will return the US to its moral leadership in the global order including on issues such as climate change and human rights. However, our missions in New York and Geneva will have to stay alert for consequences in the aftermath of the Sri Lanka withdrawal from resolutions agreed under the previous US Democratic administration in 2015. The Foreign Ministry should be planning ahead with relevant Ministries and institutions to prepare for the upcoming HRC sessions and to place on record Sri Lanka’s implementation of assurances on human rights including upto date reporting under HRC mechanisms .

There is another worry and that has to do with analyzing the rationale for the military build-up in India. Beefing up the Indian air force seems a key strategy with the purchase of new Raffale jets, completing of mountain tunnels to enable quick reinforcements to the Northern border, adding to all the new hardware from the US and now consolidating aerial intelligence cooperation with the new BECA agreement, are these all elements of a larger plan not just for defence but perhaps preparations for an offensive? The underlying concern is that we are living in historic times, with major changes taking place on borders which would have been considered unthinkable a few years ago. There is Brexit and the breaking away from the European Union, more recently in Ngarno Karabakh territory has been conceded to Azerbaijan as a result of military force. While President Trump is still in office, Israel is moving forward on the Trump Peace Plan in the Middle East to extend its frontiers over the Golan Heights and occupied territories in the West Bank and Gaza while building of new settlements in East Jerusalem has begun. In South Asia, India has withdrawn the special constitutional status accorded since decades to Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, and now recently Pakistan has announced plans to make those parts of Kashmir administered by it into a separate Province which will be seen as a provocation by the Indian side. Is the stage being set for a historic military confrontation over Kashmir?

(Sarala Fernando, retired from the Foreign Ministry as Additional Secretary and her last Ambassadorial appointment was as Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva. Her Ph.D was on India-Sri Lanka relations and she writes now on foreign policy, diplomacy and protection of heritage).