Sri Lankan Views at the 7th Xiangshan Forum in China
The following article based on the speech made by the author as the Secretary of Defence of Sri Lanka, at the Second Plenary Session of the 7th Xiangshan Forum
by Karunasena Hettiarachchi
( October 12, 2016, Beijing, Sri Lanka Guardian) It’s a great pleasure to be here at the 7th Xiangshan Forum. I want to thank the co-hosts China Association for Military Sciences (CAMS) and the China Institute for International Strategic Studies (CIISS) for inviting me to address, once again, this elite group of defence and security strategists of the Asia Pacific Region. I believe this Plenary on “the role of the militaries in Global Governance” is timely given the constantly evolving role of militaries in a post-Cold War context.
Minimizing risks of misunderstanding and conflict still stand priority in a post 1945 nuclearized world. Asia is home to three of the world’s nuclear powers and is a space of constant reconfigurations of political and security alignment since British decolonization of the region in the late 1940’s. The global political and economic balance of power is undergoing major shifts with the rise of the Asian economies and the re-emergence to prominence of the Indian Ocean in global developments and trade.
The dramatic changes that have occurred in the scope of international connectivity in the second half of the 21st century, has led to monumental changes in the intensity, speed and volume of global interactions and significantly increased global interdependence not only among states but also a number of non-state actors that have become key stakeholders of global governance.
The proliferation of stakeholders has led to the creation of a new architecture of global governance that has moved from a state-centric model to embrace complex interactions among states, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), and non-state actors, ushering in an age of global partnerships. The empowerment of the individual and the ability of the individual to directly impact governance is also a factor that needs consideration. However, increased interdependence and multiplicity of actors also makes global governance more complex and challenging. Whilst many non-state actors contribute constructively, criminal and terrorist elements threaten the very fabric of global governance that is currently in place.
In this backdrop, militaries across the globe are adjusting to new strategic realities and their role in global governance is being constantly reinvented. Presently, there are several factors that are impacting the role of militaries in global governance. Firstly, Asia is growing at a tremendous pace and with it military power in Asia is evolving underpinned by military modernization. Secondly, militaries are being drawn into transnational missions including inter alia combating narcotics trafficking, piracy, people smuggling and illegal migration, terrorism, IUU fishing (illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing) and environmental degradation.
Thirdly, the involvement of militaries in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions (HADR) is expanding. Fourthly, militaries are actively engaged in the supporting the efforts of the United Nations in peacekeeping and peace enforcement missions across the globe; and finally militaries are also grappling with rapid technological changes and new challenges such as cyber warfare and cybercrime.
The rules based global order that was put in place in the aftermath of the two World Wars and the Cold War increasingly restricted the use of military power on moral and ethical grounds, and promoted cooperation and persuasion. The fact that we had developed weapons that could lead to our annihilation led to the decline in the primacy of the use of “Hard Power” by nation States and the rise of the use “Soft Power” in global governance. However, whilst States have increasingly sought to restrict the use of hard power, criminal and terrorist elements continue to challenge this order by engaging in rampant violence to achieve their ends.
In this backdrop, the role of militaries in global governance is being evolved not only to counter traditional and non-traditional security threats but also to proactively contribute to Human Security. Innovation is key even within the realm of Soft Power and militaries need to focus on developing their “soft” and “smart” power capabilities in order to operate effectively in the current global governance setting.
As of 2016, the themes of the symposia conducted by the Sri Lankan forces focus on Soft Power as a means of planning future military initiatives with an emphasis on security and counter terrorism. In its post conflict strategy, the Sri Lankan military is focusing on developing bilateral, regional and multilateral defence ties for mutual benefit and is committed towards ensuring the safety and security of the region.
With the change of government in January 2015 Sri Lanka reaffirmed its adherence to a policy of non-alignment with an emphasis on building positive relations with all States. Sri Lanka is committed to countering security threats in the region and looks forward to working together with its partners and friends in the region and beyond to find innovative and collaborative ways in which to meet these challenges. One such significant relationship is the friendship between China and Sri Lanka which covers extensive areas of cooperation. The President of Sri Lanka His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena, at the ceremony to mark the 67th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, said and I quote “Sri Lanka and China ties stand the test of time”. In fact, another task I have during my visit here to Beijing is to attend the 2nd China-Sri Lanka Defence Cooperation Dialogue which will take place on the 13th where we hope to review our cooperation and discuss ways and means of strengthening and expanding defence ties between the two countries.
The concept of civil-military cooperation is also undergoing rapid changes in the current global scenario. In fact it has continued to vary from country to country and during different periods in time. Norms and standards related to civil military cooperation have also remained fluid, with states adopting their own models depending on their particular contexts.
In the case of Sri Lanka, the role of the military is evolving with the changes that have taken place in the internal security environment of the country since the defeat of terrorism in 2009. Particularly in the immediate post conflict phase the military was used to deliver assistance in the North and East where civilian administration needed assistance. Gradually the military was removed from involvement in civilian administration in these areas. It has become evident however, that in some cases the Armed Forces have the capacity and capability of delivering quick assistance on matters of national importance where civilian administration is gathering momentum in its delivery capability and being a developing country with resource constraints Sri Lanka needs to avail itself of such assistance as and when requested and needed.
The changing role of the military in Sri Lanka has also seen their involvement in certain development activities and in disaster management and humanitarian response activities. For example Sri Lankan armed forces personnel supported disaster management efforts in Maldives and Nepal. In the Maldives Sri Lanka deployed a C-130 to transport equipment for a water purifying plant that was affected in Male due to a fire. In the case of Nepal the Sri Lankan armed forces supported the humanitarian response to the earthquake that struck that country in 2015 and continues to support reconstruction efforts there.
As at July/August 2016 the UN maintains 16 peacekeeping missions with approximately 118, 792 personnel (including 100,019 uniformed personnel, 16,471 civilian personnel and 1575 UN volunteers). The approved resources for 2016/2017 are about USD 7.87 billion[ http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/resources/statistics/factsheet.shtml]. These operations demonstrate how militaries have adapted to new developments in global governance with peacekeepers working side by side with INGOs, and other stakeholders in very difficult situations.
An important contribution that Sri Lanka has been making for over 5 decades is our modest role in UN Peacekeeping efforts. President Maithripala Sirisena reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to increase contribution to UN peacekeeping from the Sri Lanka Army, Air Force and Police, including a contingent to Mali. Sri Lanka has contributed to peacekeeping missions in the Central African Republic, Western Sahara, Haiti, Lebanon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Darfur, Liberia, and South Sudan among others[ http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/contributors/2016/aug16_3.pdf (page 38)].
A clear demonstration of the evolving role of militaries in global governance took place on 3rd of October 2016 at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan where Sri Lanka maintains the SriMed Level II hospital. The peacekeepers from Sri Lanka used some of their spare weekend time to take children from the Protection of Civilians site in Bor, South Sudan through an interactive training session on personal hygiene and cleanliness. The event, held on the premises of the SriMed Level II hospital, hosted 60 children aged 5 to 11 and took place on 1 October, a date Sri Lankans commemorate Children’s Day.[ http://unmiss.unmissions.org/unmiss-bor-conducts-personal-hygiene-session-children]
In Asia-Pacific strategic and defence relations, the Indian Ocean is an important geographical region as its waters connect four major land bodies- Africa, Asia, Australia and Antarctica. 40% of the world’s seaborne crude oil supplies and 50% of the world’s merchant fleet depend upon the uninterrupted security of these waters. It can be understood as a great highway of the High Seas and a wide global commons.
The Indian Ocean is a region where the interests and influence of India, China and the United States has begun to overlap and intersect. In this realm, the role of small yet effective militaries such as that of Sri Lanka is important. One of the most significant Sea Lanes of Communication runs just South of Sri Lanka where close to 200 ships traverse daily carrying energy supplies that fuel the engines of global trade. Sri Lanka together with its partners also has responsibility to ensure the safety, security and livelihoods of the millions of people who inhabit the Indian Ocean littoral spaces and hinterlands. In this context building stronger cooperation in the maritime sphere and ensuring maritime safety and security is critical. The potential “Soft Power” that Sri Lanka could wield considering our critical location in the Indian Ocean region is yet to be fully exploited.
Finally, global governance needs to comprehensively address the issue of climate change, environmental degradation and man’s growing ecological footprint. It is critical for governments to be alert at all times with regard to the ecological impact of military exercises and military operations.
Such ecological consciousness should be an essential component when evolving the future role of militaries in global governance. For example the Indian Ocean is not merely an important sea route connecting the East and the West but also a rich depository of marine resources, minerals, marine life and fisheries and we all have responsibility for its protection and preservation.
The role of militaries in Global Governance is a process of constant development and change. Particularly in a context where the application of hard power has become a last resort, militaries have had to evolve new strategies to keep pace with the dynamic processes that are taking place not only within the sphere of traditional military capacity and capability but also non-traditional facets including role of information and communication technology and electronic media in maintaining peace and stability in a global order.
Sri Lanka is committed to high level dialogue with regions through platforms such as this to ensure a safe and prosperous future for its citizens and the world at large.
