Sunday Times 2
Most suited national security policy for Sri Lanka
View(s):By Major Gen. Dr. Boniface Perera
The most suitable national security policy for Sri Lanka should be of a defensive nature, as we are known to be a hospitable and peace-loving nation among the international community.
The national security policy should be prepared in such a way as to suit and assist the interests of the people and the government’s overall strategy for development. Safeguarding unity and opposing split should be given greater importance whilst providing a peaceful and stable internal and external development environment. The national security policy is determined by the country’s national interest, wish and will of the citizens, social system, foreign policies, history and culture. Being a small country, our national interests are regionally bound, but we cannot escape the influences of superpowers simply because of the extremely important geostrategic and geopolitical location of Sri Lanka. Therefore, miscalculation of national interest will inevitably result in grave mistakes in national security and adversely affect national survival.
Major components of national security are now widely understood to include economic security, military security, political security, social security, individual security, energy security, cyber security, health security, food security, environmental security and intelligence security.
In the broader spectrum, national security is directly linked to ensuring, maintaining, and developing the national economy, national culture, national diplomacy, national science and technology, national information and innovations, and finally national political capability. The health, education, environment, and energy sectors are included in the national economy. These essential national elements are considered pillars of national survival.
The utmost vital factor in ensuring national security is national unity. This is confirmed by the old wise saying that “united we stand, divided we fall.”
National Defence Policy covers a wide spectrum incorporating many aspects of security
The objective
The precise objective of the National Security Policy is to ensure the protection of the citizens, territorial integrity, sovereignty, and the country’s assets from any aggression or threats by the use of power. (The right of a sovereign state to do so is stipulated in clause no. 1 of Article 1 of the United Nations Declaration of 1945.)
Right of a nation to defence
If a nation cannot ensure its national defence and protect its people, it cannot have peace. Therefore, a nation must have its own national defence. National defence comes into being with the emergence of states and serves a nation’s interests. National defence assures a nation’s security, national dignity and social development. Every nation has the right to defend its people and the country.
The charter of the United Nations stipulates in Article 1 that the purpose of the charter is “to maintain international peace and security,” to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace. ” Building national defence and safeguarding people’s peaceful labour are the basic rights and sacred duty bestowed on a sovereign state by international law.”
What is defence policy?
Defence policy is part of a broader concept of national security policy or national security strategy. Defence policy encompasses defence planning and management, which are consecutive steps towards the practical implementation of that policy, down to actual command and control. The lines that divide all these concepts or phases are often blurred in practice. In general, defence policy covers everything from ends to ways and means of achieving national defence objectives and is guided by codes and principles that are embedded in the National Security Policy.
Why is it important?
The defence policy is an important step in the realisation of the National Security Policy and its objectives. National defence is the core element of the national security system. This means that a functioning and effective defence sector is vital to national safety and security. Defence is also a major part of overall public spending. Therefore, ensuring budgets are spent efficiently and responsibly is crucial. Defence policy formulation represents the perfect opportunity to introduce security sector reforms and building integrity measures, which is why it is important that appropriate actors, resources and efforts are committed to this phase.
If a nation cannot support its national defence, its people cannot have peace. National defence assures a nation’s national security, national dignity and social development.
How does it work?
Defence policy will dictate how things will be done in the defence sector. Therefore, it is essential that it is thought through in great detail and that it fulfils its function of linking theory to practice. Defence policy should take into account the particularities of a given context and possible variations thereof; set attainable and realistic objectives that strive towards the overall national security objectives; and do so under the umbrella of national and international principles, standards and good practices. Defence policy should foresee all the steps of the policy process, with special attention being given to the planning and management phases. Defence policy is a public policy. Therefore, it should be made available to the wider society, including civil society, auditing and monitoring organisations, and other interested parties to ensure national security.
Geostrategic and geopolitical importance
Sri Lanka, located in the southern tip of India, lies at the crossroads of all maritime routes in the region. About 70 percent of the global oil trade and 50 percent of container traffic pass through the Indian Ocean. Today this sea route is operational, with 36,000 ships passing through Sri Lanka’s southern port annually, including 4,500 oil tankers.
It is an economically booming region, mainly due to the rapid development of two giants, India and China. The rise of Chinese influence is elsewhere in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), such as in Chittagong in Bangladesh, Gwadar in Pakistan and Kyaukpyu in Myanmar.
For imperialists, our part of the Indian Ocean is not merely a market to be conquered or a source of raw materials to be pillaged. It is the gateway to the control of resources and markets in the Near East, Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
After the collapse of the USSR, the USA remains the sole superpower. However, the unipolar world is taking a change towards a multipolar world in the future where China and India are expected to be the main players in the global power competition. Of all countries in the world, Sri Lanka can claim the top position in terms of geostrategic and geopolitical importance and naturally draws the attention of the global powers.
The USA is fearful and worried about rising China. The USA, being the sole superpower in the world after World War II, would not tolerate China replacing it.
On the other hand, India, with a population of over one billion people, is the closest neighbour of Sri Lanka, whose population is a mere 22 million. Southern India’s population exceeds 60 million as against 22 million in Sri Lanka. Proximity to Southern India and the vast Tamil population in those states and global reasons are crucial factors in dealing with the subject of security in Sri Lanka. In this context, it will be unwise to take any action that antagonises India in the long run. Therefore, the National Security Policy of Sri Lanka should make no mistakes when it comes to defence, economic policy, and foreign policy, including political decisions. It should always bear in mind the non-aligned policy to be on the safe side, without which the economic development of the country will not be realistic.
Most suited defence policy for Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean, and its only close neighbour is India, which is fifty times bigger in size and sixty-three times more in terms of population. India is considered a long-term and traditional friend. Fortunately, Sri Lanka being an island shares borders with none.
No country other than non-state actors poses a direct and conventional threat to Sri Lanka. The strategic culture of Sri Lanka is mainly based on the Buddha’s teaching of Avihimsa and the middle path. That means we are friendly with all and enemy to none. And we cannot take one’s side. Therefore, we must always adhere to a nonaligned policy. Considering the above realities, Sri Lanka’s defence policy should be defensive in nature.
However, taking into serious consideration Sri Lanka’s geopolitical importance to big powers, the sufferings experienced due to the three-decade-long civil war, and the recent Easter Sunday bombings, Sri Lanka’s national security cannot be undermined. Therefore, the most appropriate defence policy for the country is to be in the framework of “ACTIVE DEFENCE”.
The seven pillars of national survival
Survival means “staying alive.” National survival in the context of national security means freedom from foreign dictation and survival as a nation-state at any given time, by balancing all. National survival is dependent upon seven pillars that correlate with each other.
1. National survival and national economy – The economy is the basic condition for national survival as it guarantees social stability. The economy ensures necessary conditions for social progress as it enhances the national strength, which is important for the survival of a nation. Furthermore, the national economy enhances the basic condition to lay the foundation to ensure national security. The national survival and the national economy are interdependent and relatively close. The national economy is the lifeblood of a nation, and economic capability is a reflection of the national capability of a country. Therefore, it is the core mission of national security strategy to safeguard and realise the national economic interest, which is essential for national survival. An underdeveloped economy poses a big security threat to a nation; whenever there is poverty, there is instability, and possible threats and unrest can take place. Therefore, economic development can guarantee national security and national survival. Without economic development, building a nation is like a tree without water. In other words, if a country is economically weak, it is not safe. As the national economy is the guaranteed condition for international influence and recognition, we need to carefully examine where Sri Lanka fits in at present after it declared bankruptcy. That means the survival of our nation faces a real danger unless strategic decisions are taken to prevent waste and corruption in the government. They include the much-needed system change to stop the brain drain and to achieve economic development. The inflation and skyrocketing prices of basic food items result in citizens being forced into starvation. More and more factories and business ventures have been closed due to unbearable taxes and extremely high electricity and fuel prices. These factors, together with import restrictions, result in the deprivation of hundreds of thousands of jobs. This will threaten not only national security but also national survival. Therefore, national security policy should guarantee a conducive environment for the national economic development of the country and the security policy should be prepared in such a way to support and achieve the economic success that safeguards the national survival.
2. National survival and national culture – Culture is an important aspect of any nation. Firstly, strategic culture provides a thicker understanding of a state’s security behaviour. Secondly, it undermines the importance of ethnocentrism and all its implications for the theory and practices of strategy. Thirdly, knowing the culture is a predominant part of knowing the enemy. Fourthly, it improves our ability to discern enduring policy motivation and thereby predict the possible outcome of a nation. Lastly, culture provides the road map for the execution of security and development strategy. National culture means our habits, our food, the way we talk, the way we behave, our beliefs, and our attitudes, including our lifestyles. Buddhism and other religions—Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism—have greatly influenced our culture. Sri Lanka has a more than 2500-year-rich culture, and the religions, mainly Buddhism, have influenced a majority of people to follow the path of Avihimsa and the middle path, which is the main theme of the Buddha’s teaching. Therefore, we are, by nature, peace-loving people with compassion in our hearts. We need to maintain friendships with all the countries without aligning with any power, regional or global. In this context, Sri Lanka’s national security policy cannot be offensive; it has to be defensive. National culture is an important pillar in human survival that no power can defeat, and the world has taught us enough lessons. For example, why the most powerful country in the world had to abandon its mission in Afghanistan and Iraq? It has been proven that no gun can beat the culture of any nation. The USA failed in its missions in both Afghanistan and Iraq because it failed to value the local cultures. In the local scenario, why did the LTTE fail? They attacked our culture, Sri Maha Bodhiya and the Temple of the Tooth, antagonising the majority Sinhalese and all peace-loving citizens irrespective of religion and ethnicity. It was a huge strategic mistake committed by one time the world’s most ruthless terrorist organisation. The national culture and national security have a correlation that impacts national survival. Therefore, strategic culture plays a fundamental role in ensuring national security and national survival.
3. National survival and national diplomacy – Diplomacy is the art and science of maintaining peaceful relations between nations, groups, or individuals. Often diplomacy refers to representatives of different groups discussing such issues as conflicts, trade, the environment, technology, or security. The fundamental task of diplomacy is to safeguard national security and promote the national interest, including national development, by means of national power. Soft power is applied to achieve diplomatic objectives rather than by threat or use of hard power. The practice of military diplomacy through foreign visits by military leaders, negotiations and dialogues, conducting joint military exercises, and providing training for military officers are the sensitive and tactful ways to achieve the objectives of diplomacy. In the Sri Lankan context, our country being a small state, we are not in a position to apply hard power to achieve diplomatic objectives like superpowers do. Our diplomatic strength should be based on our culture which mainly derives from our religions. The Buddha’s teaching of Avihimsa and the middle path have been the guideline for enacting our foreign policy and diplomacy to be nonaligned. National diplomacy plays an extremely important pillar in ensuring national survival.
4. National survival and national science and technology – Science encompasses the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment, while technology is the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. The USA and other Western nations are leading the world in this discipline and have achieved economic, military, and other capacities to ensure a high quality of life for their citizens, well-guarding national survival. The true power of the USA is based on science and technology. Although China and India have bigger populations, they are not in a position to challenge the USA economically and militarily because they have yet to achieve science and technology supremacy.
Sri Lanka having a higher literacy level shows promising prospects towards contributing to global science and technology. However, the issues of lack of opportunities, lack of political will, together with internationally recognised pathways, and lack of capital and infrastructure act as potential barriers towards reaching desired objectives. Technology education plays an important role in developing a trend among youth to engage in careers pertaining to science and technology. Thus, the availability of higher-quality educational pathways in science and technology plays a key role in satisfying this requirement of youth in this country. This is an important tool in national survival. At the strategic level, the focus should be making science and technology education available in different forms, including military science, life and medical science, agriculture and food science, engineering, computer science and information technology, and business science. This will help gain practical applicative exposure in handling the technology driven by the curiosity to engage in novel innovations. In the context of globalisation, no nation can either survive or achieve development without understanding and paying attention to science and technology in the rapidly changing technological world.
5. National survival and national information and innovations – Information means the factual and correct knowledge obtained from investigation, study, or intelligence. To achieve national security, a country should attach much importance to the development and adoption of views of national information capability and promote a safe national security umbrella network, including ensuring social and individual security. National information capability is based on comprehensive national security and it can promote and secure national stability and prosperity. The entire world is now increasingly dependent on Information Technology. National security will be threatened if cyber security and information security are not guaranteed. Innovation can refer to producing something new or to a change made to an existing product, idea, or field. Information and innovation are often necessary for any nation for its survival and to overcome the challenges of change. Stagnation is extremely detrimental to a nation.
Achieving economic and subjective growth through innovation is the key to staying afloat in today’s highly competitive world. The innovation capability of a country can be defined as the ability to identify new ideas and transform them into actions to create new products and new services, including the introduction of productive systems that benefit the nation and compete at the international level.
It is highly recommended that a new Research and Development Agency be established at the Ministry of Defence under a competent, qualified and experienced professional to carry out research in military science to achieve greater efficiency and productivity. This Research and Development Agency needs to liaise with national Research and Development Agencies and universities in the country to develop and encourage innovations in other fields. Furthermore, the state should sponsor those who obtained doctoral degrees (PhD) for innovations so that their findings can be transmuted into actions for the betterment of the country. This is an important strategic decision the state must initiate to ensure the survival of our nation in the rapidly changing world.
6. National survival and political capability – Political capability can be viewed as the supreme capability of all in a state. National security safeguards national unity and territorial integrity while maintaining ties with other countries. National security can be termed as politics as well. When a nation feels secure is, to a greater extent, a matter of political capability. The purpose of improving political capability is to maintain national security. Among all the national interests, national security can be identified as the core. In other words, national security interests are fundamental to maintaining survival and development. National security is the precondition for the existence of political activities. A greater political capability of a country is an essential pillar of its security environment. Comparatively, a country with a relatively advanced political system, economy, science and technology, diplomacy, culture and information and innovation capability is faced with less threat both internally and externally. If political capability is weak, national security is threatened, and national survival is in danger.
In Sri Lanka’s context, the political capability has failed since Independence. The political capability has been mainly used to perpetuate corruption. “If politics is more profitable than its industries, that country will produce poverty.” Sri Lanka has provided a classic example to prove this statement. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to elect competent, honest, and suitable people to parliament from any political party, as the survival of the nation, including the fate of future generations, depends on political capability.
7. National survival and military capability – Military capability is the most important resource or means to safeguard national security. Military security is not only tasked to safeguard national sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity but also to shoulder the responsibility of securing national development. Military capability can be identified as the fundamental guarantee of national survival. Armed forces are the backbone of a nation to cope with various nontraditional security threats. They play an important role in safeguarding national and world peace. In this context, it is important to define feasible goals for armed forces, evaluate military theories, introduce advanced military equipment and weaponry, scientific and technological capabilities, provide qualitative training for military personnel of modern times, and endeavour to improve the effectiveness of national defence. The nation will have to face numerous threats, both internal and external, if the military capability is weak. Therefore, the military capability has been identified as a vital pillar in ensuring national survival.
National security cannot be in isolation.
National security entails almost everything in human lives in a country. It’s simply not limited to national defence, fighting a war, or countering terrorism. National defence is a vital part of national security, which involves the prime actions of armed forces. National security should be integrated into every aspect of human lives and society, without which no society can exist in peace.
In the broader spectrum, national security is directly linked to ensuring, maintaining, and developing the national economy, national culture, national diplomacy, national science and technology, national information and innovations, national political capability, and national military capability. These essential national elements are considered pillars of national survival. In the absence of these pillars, no society can survive.
Recommended national security policy for Sri Lanka
After an in-depth study on the subject of national security policies, economic capabilities, and political science of about 28 countries, together with vast experience gained in the battle for more than 20 years, including 36 years of active military service and having obtained a PhD in economics, the author recommends the national security policy of Sri Lanka’s to be in the form of “ACTIVE DEFENCE” to ensure the national survival of our motherland. The author has presented the comprehensive national security policy to the Samagi Jana Balawegaya leader and presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa with the view of bringing prosperity to our people whilst assuring a safer society for the people of Sri Lanka.
(Major Gen. Dr. Boniface Perera, a battle-hardened infantry officer, served the Sri Lanka Army for more than 36 years, dedicating 20 years on the battlefield. He was the former Security Forces Commander of the Wanni Region and Eastern Province in addition to being the competent authority to resettle 300,000 displaced people in the North. Having secured a PhD in economics, Major General Perera is working as an international writer and international Researcher in the fields of economics, current affairs, politics and national security. He has authored more than 150 research articles and 20 scientific books. He is an advanced researcher at the University of Science and Technology in Taiwan. He is an expert in veteran entrepreneurial studies in addition to being a philanthropist.)