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SJB MP Imthiaz Bakeer Markar
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Imthiaz Bakeer Markar yesterday raised concerns on whether President Ranil Wickremesinghe is steering Sri Lanka towards involvement in a potential global conflict through the inclusion of the Sri Lanka Navy in the US-led operation safeguarding merchant vessels in the Red Sea from attacks by Houthi rebels.
Addressing the parliament, Markar referenced an article from the Daily FT, authored by human rights activist Sanja De Silva Jayatilleka which raised questions about the deployment of a Sri Lanka Navy ship in the prevailing circumstances.
“What would a Sri Lankan Navy ship, from this impoverished country unable to pay its debts, heavily dependent on the IMF, and with a population heading towards a crisis of economic survival, be doing in the red sea at this time, taking on the Houthis, in a conflict that is not ours, in a context where claims of genocide and collective punishment which are war crimes, are invoked? Isn’t this contrary to Sri Lanka’s own operation prosperity?” he read.
The MP urged the Government to pay attention to the highlighted section, emphasising that it itself indicates the fallacy in Sri Lanka's stance.
"The majority of nations have condemned this unethical exploitation and inhumane operation for political dominance by a few powerful countries in the Middle East. We are now on the brink of an imminent global conflict in the region. What is the President seeking to achieve by involving us in this conflict, and what consequences is he trying to bring upon us?" the MP asked.
The decision to deploy a Sri Lanka Navy vessel faced criticism from the opposition with Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa accusing the Government of allocating Rs. 250 million for the operation.
In defence, State Minister of Defence Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon said the Government aims to fulfil its global responsibilities and emphasised Sri Lanka's firm stance against terrorism. Tennakoon also highlighted that joining the operations would result in no additional costs, as Sri Lanka's ships are already patrolling an extensive maritime area in the Indian Ocean.
