Need for a strategic defence review

President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as the Finance Minister presented the appropriation bill for 2023 on 14 November. The budget allocated Rs. 539 billion for both defence and public security ministries, while allocating only Rs. 322 billion for health and Rs. 232 billion for education. This significant allocation for the military and the police at a time of severe economic crisis is naturally attracting criticism.

Despite over 13 years having passed since the end of the war, Sri Lanka has hardly enacted the necessary policies to reform the security sector. The high defence budget, constituting over 2% of GDP comes when the country’s armed forces are not fighting any external or internal war. In the current context the military is far too big for its size and population and it has a military that is ill-suited to meet the new strategic needs. It is also clear that no meaningful steps have been taken to reflect the demographics of the country, remaining primarily a Sinhala Buddhist institution. Further its overwhelming presence in the North-East, particularly occupying both private and public lands has given rise to further resentment.

On the human rights front, other than regarding training for UN peacekeeping missions, the military has not undertaken any comprehensive training or reorientation of their approach towards the functionality of a military within a democracy. The leadership of the military, particularly the Army, is tainted with individuals who are accused of serious crimes, including war crimes and there is no tangible change in approach to civil administration of the military. A fine example of this is the promotion of the current secretary to the ministry of defence to the rank of four-star general. This was to ‘out rank’ the three-star service commanders, an issue glaringly irrelevant when the civilian administration, both political and bureaucratic, naturally ‘out ranks’ any serving military leader including the commanders.

It should now be abundantly clear that the Sri Lanka military requires a strategic defence review that would identify the challenges facing the Ministry of Defence, introduce solutions, and set necessary resources, priority directions, and due dates, as well as structural units of the military for the implementation of reforms. Such a review should define the role that the military is expected to play and analyse the potential security threats.

Especially in a time of economic crisis it is vital to assess the role of the military in economic matters. In the last few years since the end of the conflict the military has taken over numerous roles that have in fact stifled growth of the private sector. By inserting itself into tourism, agriculture, transport and other areas that should be within the purview of the private sector the military has become a hindrance to growth.

A strategic defence review will hopefully change the mentality of the current military still fighting the last war at the maximum strength of its adversary. In the current context the main role of the military should be one that prevents another internal conflict while offering a minimum deterrence to an external threat, the latter hardly in the horizon. In this regard it should be part of the solution in ushering in reconciliation and sustainable peace among communities. An institution that is respected rather than feared by all and an institution with a democracy that is inclusive and reflective of the demographics of the country.