Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s firm stand on Sri Lanka has upset the island nation’s government with Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa saying her point of view poses a threat to his country’s security and sovereignty.
Speaking at the Kotelawala Defence University here, Gotabaya said: “India, in particular, is very sensitive to what is going on in Sri Lanka because of the large Tamil population in its influential southern State of Tamil Nadu. Especially during election cycle, Sri Lanka figures large in its power politics. In the recent past, we have seen even the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu attempting to pressurise the Central government into opposing Lanka internationally. This is a serious threat to Sri Lanka’s security and perhaps even to its sovereignty.”
The Defence Secretary said there were some Tamils in Lanka who identified themselves more with Tamils in Tamil Nadu than with fellow Lankans and that it was being encouraged by “some parties overseas” who wished to promote the idea of a “greater Tamil nation”.
On the possibility of arms smuggling across the seas, he said: “Given the recent activities of LTTE-linked organisations outside Sri Lanka, particularly in Tamil Nadu, this is very much a current threat.”
Stressing the need to prevent Tamil Nadu fishermen from entering Lankan waters, he said: “The fishing boats that enter Lankan waters illegally have also been known to engage in criminal activities including drug smuggling.”
India-China conflict
Gotabaya saw the India-China conflict as a threat to Lanka. “With the rise of China as a world economic leader, there is widespread belief that India feels insecure and is seeking to align itself with other powers that seem similarly threatened by China’s ascendency. The likelihood of the US showing more interest in the region and aligning more with India is a factor that might affect Lanka. Its establishment of a base in the Maldives is also changing the complexion of the region,” he said.