Decoding the AKD-Modi pact: Geopolitical logic, military alignment, existential danger

INDIAN defence analysts speak of a Defence Pact or Defence Cooperation Pact with Sri Lanka (https://youtube.be/XfiLD6VpsA?si=fsoeXy3Fv5egezn3F).

- By Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka

Officials on both sides say it was a 'formalization', an 'umbrella' over the existing agreements. But why an 'umbrella' or 'chapeau' than the French call it? Why formalization? Because it takes things to the next level. What's that level?

Addressing an election meet-ing in Galle, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake clarified matters:

“We need security in this region. We need to safeguard the security of this region. We should secure the oceans. Those who have greater technological capacities in defence, greater skills in defence, if not how can our future move forward? We could have done so, if for years our rulers had succeeded in bringing us to a higher rung in technology. We could have surmounted. But what happened? For 75 years the world developed rapidly in science and technology. The world developed rapidly in military science. What should we do? We must secure the assistance of those states which have accepted this new science and technology…

Don't we have to do that? Shouldn't we do that? (are they dotting the i's?) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NSoMs8aac&t=198s)

Connect the dots. With this Defense Cooperation pact with India (“there's nothing there”, says AKD reassuringly in this speech), Anura is entering into an amended role in providing regional security; a role that is hardly even-handed or equitable; balanced or omni-directional. A role that is hardly nonaligned. How is the region (“Indo-Pacific”) defined? It is, says Anura, what about our common friend Pakistan? If it is the Indo-Pacific or Asia-Pacific region, what about our friend China?

What's all this about “military science” and technology anyway? How is that a priority for us, and at this time of economic crisis and falling living standards?

Anura is plugging us as a peripheral unit into India's security architecture, which includes strategic alignment with the USA against China. Under AKD, Sri Lanka is now part of that. We have taken sides.