Sri Lanka’s foreign relations and the S. Asian power balance

By Lynn Ockersz

(March 22, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The recent official statistics confirmed what has right along been figured out by the more perceptive of observers. Sri Lanka’s troubled relations with the West are beginning to reveal themselves in a diminished financial commitment towards Sri Lanka by countries, such as, the US and Germany. While the US had committed a mere US $ 1.0 million in financial assistance for 2009, the corresponding figure for Germany is US $ 2.8 million. In contrast, China’s financial commitment towards Sri Lanka for 2009, stood at US $ 1,206.7 million.

No less a document than the ‘Pre-Election Budgetary Position Report – 2010’, published a couple of weeks ago by the Secretary, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Finance and Planning, revealed as much. As should be expected, the perceivable imbalance in the conduct of foreign relations passed without comment, although the report noted that the total commitment made by donor agencies and lenders to Sri Lanka during 2009, which amounted to US $ 2,221.7 million, is the ‘highest recorded so far’.

There is no better pointer to the state of a country’s relations with specific states of the world system than these foreign actors’ financial assistance to the country concerned and the above statistics are revelatory of the damage, stressed relations with the West are doing to the even conduct of Sri Lanka’s external ties. Sri Lanka’s turbulent relations with India in the mid eighties should have alerted her to the need to adhere to the principle of Non-alignment and it is a matter for regret that this golden rule for lesser players in global politics has, apparently, been forgotten by Sri Lanka.

It is not at all objectionable to cultivate close and cordial relations with countries, such as, China, Iran, Libya and even Burma, but the strengthening of such relations should go hand-in-hand with a conscious policy of engaging with and of being on equally friendly terms with the rest of the world. No doubt, the deterioration of Lanka’s relations with some key players of the West was inevitable on account of the latter’s perceived inability to understand this country’s most vital needs during, particularly, the closing stages of the Lankan state’s ‘war against terror’ in May last year, but this country needed to take remedial action to repair its relations with the West and this urgent undertaking was badly neglected.

The ‘rot’ that steadily set in, in Lanka’s ties with the West, was, perhaps, unpreventable, given the widespread perception in governing circles in this country that the West was following a blatantly intrusive policy in its relations with Sri Lanka, but why wasn’t a policy of rapprochement with the West quickly pursued? Why wasn’t the ‘rot’ stemmed?

Hopefully, the answers to these important posers would be forthcoming from official quarters because the success of this country’s rejuvenation drive could very well depend on how frankly they are faced and on how constructively and effectively they are resolved.

In passing, it needs to be mentioned that foreign policy issues, besides other important questions confronting a country, must be discussed robustly and intelligently in public fora for the purpose of stimulating public discussion on these matters. This does not happen to the desired degree in this country and this too is a cause for puzzlement. Substantial official and other forms of backing is needed for public deliberation of foreign policy issues and the possibility is great that when this happens, we would have a more articulate public on these issues who could, then, go on to make a positive contribution to the foreign policy formulation process. Why shouldn’t the people, after all, be party to this process?

Inasmuch as the Lankan government should guard against following what may be called an adventurist course in the conduct of foreign policy, the West needs to empathize more with the Lankan state in the taxing situations confronting it. It certainly was up against a number of painful dilemmas during the closing stages of the ‘war against terror’ last year, particularly in relation to the Tamil civilians, and a cooperative approach to the Lankan government by the West, would have helped avert the moments of confrontation which erupted in their ties.

The current state of Lanka’s foreign relations, presents this country with the challenge of clear-headedly and foresightedly charting its future course. The bald truth is that Sri Lanka needs the cooperation of the West, in particularly the current juncture. This is not only on account of the fact that it needs cooperative economic ties with the West, and this truth is illustrated by the positive bent in government-West talks over GSP plus, but also because Sri Lanka needs to forge ahead towards a political solution which recognizes the equality of all its citizens and in this effort the moral backing of the West would come in most handy.

For, it should be clear by now that the Lankan state needs the backing of also the West-based Tamil Diaspora in its national rejuvenation drive, and this support would not be forthcoming as long as the Lankan government does not make a credible forward movement towards a political solution that meets legitimate minority aspirations. When this thrust towards a political solution does take place, Western governments could figure prominently in persuading those sections of the Diasporic community, who remain skeptical and uncooperative, that peace should be given a chance on account of the strengths of the political solution.

Sri Lanka also needs to remember the home truth that it needs to have the most cordial ties with its closest neighbours. This is the lesson coming from the eighties. Good ties with friends outside the region would be of little avail if our relations with our closest neighbours turn sour. In fact friendly states, very close at hand, prove the handiest neighbours.

Besides, we need to be alert to global power realities, when we relate to friends near and far. It should be plain to see that some powerful states outside the South Asian region are in an intensely competitive relationship with India. This is very much so in the economic and strategic spheres. Must not we, then, trod carefully, cultivating strong links with India, while being a friend of all?