At the end of World War II, General George C. Marshall said, “We are now concerned with the peace of the entire world, and the peace can only be maintained by the strong.” Most people in our country equate national security with military readiness, homeland defense, and generally protecting American interests at home and abroad.
This is what, NEGLECTED DIMENSION OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY. National security has other dimensions. It is a broad description of the elements in our society that make it “secure,” and that goes much further than providing for “a common defense.” It can include anything that adds to the strength of the Nation. It is about being strong in the sense General Marshall intended.
1. Reconciliation and individual liberty are regarded as the basis of national security.
The perpetrators of the Easter attack have not been punished so far. At least a proper investigation has not been done. The archbishop said that giving the post of Inspector General of Police to Deshbandu, who has been seriously accused for not preventing the Easter attack, is a barbaric act.
At the same time, Buddhist monks loyal to Deshbandhu criticized the archbishop. Although Buddhists can visit the Kelani Vihara without any fear, the Kochchikade Church does not have such a situation. Even today, most churches in Sri Lanka run with police protection. That is, the freedom of Catholics have become limited.
Last November 29, there was a memorial for the Tamil rebels who died in the war. But mothers in the north were not allowed to visit their children’s graves and light a candle . Although the parents of the Tamil rebels lost that right, the parents of the Sinhalese rebels (JVP) have it. That is, the freedom of Tamis have become limited.
Last year there was a youth uprising against the government. It was not an effort they made to become a king, but a struggle for good governance. Although Military and police forces were suppressed the struggle their ambitions are still live. Their ambitions remain like sparks under the ash. Even a hostile force can ignite those spark.
After the Easter attack, certain Muslim religious practices and mosques were restricted. Due to the Neglected dimensions of the national security, those restrictions are still in effect
2. Economic factors
Sri Lanka has followed a service economy for the last 75 years. For these so-called welfare measures they raised funs by the loans that taken for high interests . In the end, borrowed more loans to pay off the debt, and on the other hand, sold the public resources with out transparency
Hitherto the rulers of this country have not focused a manufacturing based economy. They often says that there is no capital and technology to establish factories in the country.
Pulmoddai has one of the richest deposits of Titanium in the world. it has a deposit of over 5 million tonnes of ilmenite and rutile . Titanium, known as black gold, is produced using ilmenite and rutile .
Until now, no government in Sri Lanka has taken steps to make black gold using Pulmuddai ilamanite . What they did was to sell the resource abroad.
But Prabhakaran had planned to include titanium production in his economic plan. Prabhakaran said that it is not a big deal he to produce titanium as LTTE cadres already being made airplanes, submarines, artillery shells, mortars and mines in the country.
Prabhakaran was strongly opposed to the untransparent sale of ilmenite to foreign countries . Prabhakaran attacked and sank 2 foreign ships that came to take Ilmenite.
1. In 6 August 1996, the LTTE attacked the Philippine-registered MV Princess Wave which was loading ilmenite for a Japanese consignee.
At present, not only in the North, but also in the South, many people have lost faith in the political system, the police and the army.
Further under the guise of protecting the country, they are beating the foundation of the national security with a sledge hammer
We are a nation that has never recognized the real enemy. The strength of the LTTE was spread across many fields. Only their military wing was defeated in 2009. And the formula used by the southern government to defeat the LTTE military wing led to the rise of other wings of the LTTE organization.
The national leaders, police chiefs and army chiefs who reign in the south are those who do not know the four boundaries of national security. Knowingly or unknowingly, the Sinhalese people in the south are helping Tamil separatism.
