Last weekend, the Shangri-La Dialogue, organised by the renowned International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) commenced in Singapore with a few noticeable absentees. The event, one of the most important high-level forums for the exchange of views by international security policymakers, attended by heads of States, ministers of defence or foreign affairs, national security advisors, military top-brass, experts and academia. Sri Lanka had been a regular attendee to such forums, as it should since it is a small littoral State which needs regional and global cooperation to ensure safety and security in the Indian Ocean and domestically. However, this year, observers noted that there was no official delegation, either a minister, a deputy minister, secretary nor head of armed forces that had attended this vital dialogue. Senior government sources told The Daily Morning that a delegation was not dispatched. Last week also saw an important Russian Defence Conference which was traditionally attended by senior government officials in the past but was not afforded a ministerial-level delegation by the current Government.
The National People’s Power (NPP) Government’s lack of governance experience continues to be highlighted though such shortcomings, as they remain focused solely on delivering low hanging fruits, that play into the populist voter bank. The NPP seems to have not grown out of its inward-looking policy and being content with satisfying the masses’ desire to punish corruption and the political culture to comprehend the value international linkages have, especially for an island nation. Sri Lanka’s leadership must understand that it must ‘win’ both the local and international audience, if the island nation is to succeed. Yes, the NPP has shown that the JVP-era ‘Anti-Indian’ sentiments and rhetoric has mellowed, and that as a government they are ready to work with India. That is commendable. However, it wasn’t exactly a choice to be made given the circumstances, the NPP just woke the JVP up from its slumber. It is reported that the Russian ambassador to Colombo during a recent discussion had expressed his dissatisfaction about Sri Lanka not taking practical steps to join the growing global collective of BRICS. Sri Lanka should not ignore such warnings. We can ill afford such lapses. As a small nation, trying to navigate troubled waters, especially from a weak economic footing and in a period where geopolitical contention is increasingly impacting our neighbourhood, Sri Lanka must use diplomacy and intelligence as its frontline defence. For that to be effective, diplomacy, and defence diplomacy must also remain robust. The global order we know and have grown to navigate is evolving, and keeping close links with friends and partners will be important.
On the trade and economic side, there are several stalled Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) which have been under review for nearly nine-months since the NPP Government came to power. In fairness to the NPP, few governments of the past moved on them quickly as well. But then again, why the previous Government was reluctant to push ahead with them, was due to the fear created by the NPP’s core group, the JVP. And each time the FTAs came up for action, the JVP-led Trade Union brigade would threaten to bring the State to a halt.
However, Sri Lanka has been stalling for too long, with necessary due diligence it is time to take up the FTA or surely risk another run to the IMF, for another bail out. The writing is on the wall, and the JVP/NPP Government can ill-afford to be blind to its own shortcomings, by highlighting a few victories in the anti-corruption sector as a compromise. What is at stake is much larger. This Government must get its foreign policy and defence policy fine-tuned, and quickly. The time for amateurism is over, nine months have passed, and now it's time to govern a country, not a county.