1 BY : Lieutenant General M F AKBAR,ndc,psc Commandant, National Defence College, Bangladesh.

“SRI LANKA’S POST CONFLICT SUCCESSES; IMPLICATIONS AND

GAINS IN SECURITY FOR BANGLADESH IN THE CONTEXT OF

REGIONAL STABILITY”

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DEFENCE SEMINAR - 2013

BY :Lieutenant General M F AKBAR,ndc,psc

Commandant, National Defence College, Bangladesh

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Introduction

Sri Lanka’s location beside the sea lanes of the Indian Ocean make the island state strategically very important

Sea lanes constitute the trade artery of Asia that is vital to all the countries including China, Japan and India

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Introduction

US policy has been to ensure the freedom of navigation through the sea lanes

Half of container cargo and 80 percent of seaborne fuel is carried through here. It also contains 40 percent of the off shore fuel output.

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Significance of Indian Ocean Theatre

“More than half the world’s armed conflicts are presently located in the Indian Ocean region ………………....potential nuclear confrontation between India and Pakistan, US interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, Islamist terrorism, growing incidence of piracy in and around the Horn of Africa, and management of diminishing fishery resources.”

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Significance of Indian Ocean Theatre

“In the long-term the Indian Ocean is going to be massively more significant in global politics than it has ever been before……………that is the function largely of the fact that the Asia-Pacific region is massively more significant.”

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Sri Lanka, the Island State

The importance of Indian Ocean confers strategic significance to Sri Lanka

The island was always considered vital to control the gateway to India and all east-west lanes that connect South East Asia to the West

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Sri Lanka, the Island State

India appended to the India-Sri Lanka accord of July 1987

Trincomalee or any other port of Sri Lanka will not be made available for military use by any country

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India-Sri Lanka accord 1987

Trincomalee oil tank farm will be undertaken as a joint venture between India and Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's agreement with foreign broadcasting organisations will be reviewed

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Internal Dimensions and Dynamics

Demographics, geography, history and politics converged in rise of nationalism and then intolerance and chauvinism that brought a long insurgency home to Sri Lanka

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Each ethnic group today has a distinct identity with strongly held myths of origin

Sinhala believe that they are Aryans from Bengal, the Tamils claim pure Dravidian origin, and the Muslims aspire to decent from Arabs

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Medieval Sri Lanka’s major accomplishment is the establishment of the Sinhala kingdom

The development of Sinhala nation as the last defenders of Buddhism in India was a very powerful element in their nation building

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Rise of Terrorism-South Asian Perspective

Terrorism is a noxious conflict and its economic costs are enormous

South Asia has a violent history of terrorist incidents and here political and security discourse takes precedence over development

Global terrorism center of gravity had shifted to South Asia making it a region of concern

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Termination of Insurgency New Horizon for Peace in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka under President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s leadership and with valiant efforts of the Sri Lankan armed forces defeated the LTTE

All in region and beyond are grateful for the removal of such a despicable foe of humanity and are more secure because of this outcome

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Termination of Insurgency New Horizon for Peace in Sri Lanka

The continuation of conflict could cause disruptions in shipping with wider ramifications for trade in this region

Remained a threat to economic security of the region

India’s pursuit of Chinese policy of maintaining regional peace would have been jeopardized

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Bangladesh’s Support for Peaceful Sri Lanka A Way Ahead to Regional Stability

The Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government supported Sri Lankan cause on two counts

Bangladesh has always supported Sri Lanka’s war against terrorism and also has pragmatic understanding of the fallout from post conflict transition

Region has more stability by mitigating regional threats to security like arms’ trafficking, smuggling and various forms of human rights violations

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Sri Lanka's first king, mentioned in the ancient Pali chronicles, was known to have ancestors from the Vanga Kingdom located in modern Bangladesh

In Sri Lanka, several strands of Buddha’s hair gifted by the Buddhists of Bangladesh,are venerated on Poya Day, a Buddhist public holiday in Sri Lanka

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Diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were formally established in 1972

Sri Lanka Heads of States and Governments since 1979 have made official visits to Bangladesh and they have been reciprocated

Close political relationship is demonstrated by BD support to Srilanka at International Forum

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About 15,000 Srilankans are currently employed in Bangladesh

Growing technical co-operation in the production of garments between the two countries

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Bangladesh and Sri Lanka participate in the joint peace keeping exercises under the UN department of peacekeeping operations

There are goodwill visits at the level of chiefs of armed forces between the two countries

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Bangladesh has greatly benefited from the elimination of LTTE and end of ethnic conflict

Bangladesh army, in the initial stages of the insurgency in Chittagong Hill Tracts, decided not to use heavy guns

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The rapprochement between the two communities will take lot of work and time which is more of an intellectual and transformative political process

Every country have respective historical, cultural and political evolution creates conditions that do not allow uniform responses to identical problem

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No substantive allegation has been raised against the government of Sri Lanka concerning reconstruction and economic rejuvenation of the region

If the economic growth can be maintained in the region then major reservations concerning reconciliation will disappear within a short time

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The ethnic war has ended; the conflict has been submerged. However its currency needs to be neutralized

Avenues and opportunities have to be created to allow the communities to live as neighbors, friends and colleagues

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Parting Words on Way Forward

Developing a common national identity among a heterogeneous population is a very difficult and challenging task and no nation can claim perfection

Difficulties may not deter the perennial quest of nation building

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There has to be total renunciation of violence excluding the exercise of legitimate coercive authority of the state

The precise shape and nature of these elements may vary from country to country because of differences among communities regarding their location, histories, cultures, regional trends, political relationships and other relevant factors

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Sri Lanka has worked with great commitment to carry out reconstruction. There is a genuine national will to revive the affected economies. The trauma of long term conflict can only be effectively managed…..

Sri Lanka is on the right path and we, in Bangladesh, hope for and support successful resolution of this problem

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I Wish The People, Government And The Armed Forces Of Sri Lanka A Peaceful,

Prosperous And Happy Future

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Thank You

1 BY : Lieutenant General M F AKBAR,ndc,psc Commandant, National Defence College, Bangladesh.

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