Defence

Arms manufacturers show Indian capability to Sri Lankan military

Shihar Aneez

Friday April 12, 2024 7:00 am

By Shihar Aneez

Friday April 12, 2024 7:00 am

ECONOMYNEXT – Indian arm manufacturing firms showed the Delhi’s capability in arm manufacturing to Sri Lankan military at a seminar on Wednesday which the island nation expects to open the door for future joint collaboration in manufacturing and services.

Indian High Commission in Colombo High Commission organised the seminar titled “Identifying New Opportunities and Forging New Bonds” to promote Indian Made Defence equipment and explore avenues for collaboration in defence production.

India’s privately owned defence companies demonstrated the capability they have developed in manufacturing arms and other products including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), latest drones, and latest earth movers used in war zones.

The delegation comprised representatives from Indian Defence companies including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bharat Electronics Limited, Zen Technologies, SSS Defence, Bharat Forge, Big Bang Boom Solutions, AWEL, AVNL, Mahindra Defence, Sager Defence and TATA Advances System Ltd.

They presented their manufacturing capabilities and the advantages of using them in a modern war.

From the Sri Lankan side, Chief of Defence Staff, Commander of Sri Lanka Navy, Commander of Sri Lanka Air Force and other senior officers from Sri Lankan Armed Forces, Police and Special Task Force attended the event along with representatives of leading Sri Lankan business conglomerates.

Santosh Jha, the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka underlined the increasing diversification of India-Sri Lanka bilateral cooperation across domains, including in security and defence matters.

“He emphasised that because of geography, the security of India and Sri Lanka is interlinked and intertwined,” Indian High Commission of Sri Lanka said in a statement.

“India’s defence exports today stand at nearly 2.6 billion US Dollars, a ten-fold increase over the past five years. High Commissioner stated that the seminar was another platform to explore ways of extending India’s increasing capabilities in the defence sector to Sri Lanka.”

TOUGH PAST

Sri Lanka military had been in desperate situations for modern arms when they were fighting a civil war against Tamil Tiger rebels popularly known as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who demanded an independent state in the island nation’s resourceful North and East.

The military, however, ended the 26-year war in 2009 annihilating all LTTE leaders including its supreme leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

India, which strongly backed LTTE by providing arms and training in the early stage of the war, took a complete U-turn and helped Sri Lanka military in the final stage of the war.

The LTTE killed Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 after his government sent Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to stop the violence in the North as per a deal signed between the two neighbours.

India, along with China, Pakistan, and the United States helped Sri Lanka to end the war amid strong concerns over war crimes and human rights violation by the Sri Lankan armed forces.

Since the end of the war, India has been increasingly involved with Sri Lanka armed forces, providing trainings and conducting joint military exercises with a special focus on maritime security after China increased its footprint in Sri Lanka.

China has owned Sri Lanka’s largest port in the country’s deep southern district of Hambantota where the world’s second largest economy is in the process of building a $4.5 billion refinery and establishing an investment zone.

USING INDIAN WEAPONS

A similar Defence Seminar and Exhibition has been conducted in June last year, the Indian High Commission said.

“Sri Lanka Armed forces have been successfully operating a range of Indian defence equipment like L-70 guns, Indra Radar, Offshore Patrol Vessels and Army training simulators,” it said.

“More recently the GoI (government of India) has committed supply of Floating Dock, Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre and Dornier aircraft which would ensure capacity building of Sri Lanka Armed Forces.”

Shri Anurag Bajpai, Indian Defence Ministry’s Additional Secretary (Defence Production) reassured that India stands committed towards ensuring capacity and capability building of Sri Lanka Armed Forces as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of SAGAR (Security & And Growth for All in the Region).

“He highlighted the common security challenges faced in the Indian Ocean Region and called for enhanced collaboration to create a safer environment,” the Indian High Commission said in a statement.

“He shared Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’s, self-reliant India’s upward trajectory in establishing robust R&D (research and development) and indigenous manufacturing ecosystems, while fostering innovation and entrepreneurship”.

“NEW AREAS OF ECONOMIC REVIVAL”

Sri Lanka has been looking for collaboration to earn foreign exchange in all sectors including military since an unprecedented economic crisis in 2022 which forced the country to default sovereign debts.

Since then, the island nation has yet to pay its private and bilateral external creditors.

“This could hopefully open the door to future joint collaboration in manufacturing and services as well as joint research and development, thereby identifying new areas for economic revival whilst ensuring capacity building of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces,” State Minister of Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon told the participants at the seminar.

“…as we embrace the era of fourth industrial revolution technologies, we must adapt to the changing landscape of warfare,” he said.

“Innovations in artificial intelligence, cyber security, unmanned systems, and space technologies have revolutionized the way we perceive defence and security.”

“It is essential for us to remain at the forefront of these developments, continuously modernizing our armed forces to counter emerging threats effectively. I believe this seminar is therefore taking us in this future direction.” (Colombo/April 12/2024)

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Weather and Climate

Water levels rising in Sri Lanka Kalu, Nilwala river basins: Irrigation Department

Sri Lanka Navy assisting in rescue operations (Pic courtesy SL Navy)

Monday June 3, 2024 2:17 pm

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Irrigation Department has issued warnings that water levels in the Kalu and Nilwala river basins are rising and major flooding is possible due to the continuous rain. People living in close proximity are advised to take precautions.

“There is a high possibility of slowly increasing prevailing flood lowline areas of Kiriella, Millaniya, Ingiriya, Horana, Dodangoda, Bulathsinhala, Palinda Nuwara and Madurawala D/S divisions of Ratnapura and Kalutara Districts, up to next 48 hours,” it said issuing a warning.

“In addition, flood situation prevailing at upstream lowline areas of Ratnapura district will further be prevailing with a slight decrease.

“The residents and vehicle drivers running through those area are requested to pay high attention in this regard.

“Disaster Management Authorities are requested to take adequate precautions in this regard.”

The island is in the midst of south western monsoon.

DMC reported that 11,864 people belonging to 3,727 families have been affected due to the weather in Rathnapura, Kegalle, Kilinochchi, Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Kalutara, Gampaha, Colombo, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Puttalam, Kurunegala, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Badulla, Moneragala, and Trincomalee districts.

Meanwhile, the Meteorology Department stated that showers are expected on most parts of the island today.(Colombo/June3/2024)

Politics

UNP gen secy defends call for postponing Sri Lanka poll, claims opposition silent

The UNP party headquarters in Pitakotte/EconomyNext

Monday June 3, 2024 1:59 pm

ECONOMYNEXT — United National Party (UNP) General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara has defended his call for postponing Sri Lanka’s presidential election by two years, claiming that his proposal was not undemocratic nor unconstitutional.

Speaking to reporters at the UNP headquarters Monday June 03 morning, Bandara also claimed that neither opposition leader Sajith Premadasa nor National People’s Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake have spoken against his proposal.

“I have made no statement that’s undemocratic. My statement was in line with provisions of the constitution,” the former UNP parliamentarian said.

He quoted Section 86 of Chapter XIII of the constitution which says: “The President may, subject to the provisions of Article 85, submit to the People by Referendum any matter which in the opinion of the President is of national importance.”

Sections 87.1, 87.2 also elaborates on the matter and describes the parliament’s role, said Bandara.

“I spoke of a referendum and parliament’s duty. Neither of this is antidemocratic or unconstitutional. As per the constitution, priority should be given to ensuring people’s right to life,” he said.

“Some parties may be against what I proposed. They may criticse me. But what I ask them is to come to one position as political parties and make a statement on whether they’re ready to continue the ongoing economic programme,” he added.

Bandara claimed that, though thee has been much criticism of his proposal for a postponement of the presidential election, President Wickremesinghe’s rivals Premadasa and Dissanayake have yet to remark on the matter.

“I suggested that [Premadasa] make this proposal in parliament and for [Dissanayake] to second it. But I don’t see that either Premadasa nor Dissanayake is opposed to it. To date, I have not seen nor heard either of them utter a word against this. I believe they have no objection to my proposal which was made for the betterment of the country,” he said. (Colombo/Jun03/2024)

Accidents

300 of 100,000 trees in Colombo considered high risk: state minister

Monday June 3, 2024 1:05 pm

ECONOMYNEXT – Trees in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo are being monitored by the municipal council, Army and Civil Defense Force as the severe weather conditions continue, State Minister for Defense Premitha Bandara Tennakoon said.

“Within the Colombo Municipal Council city limits, there are 100,000 trees. Of these, around 300 are considered high risk,” Tennakoon told reporters at a media conference to raise awareness about the current disaster management situation.

Not all trees required to be cut down he said. “We can trim some of the branches and retain them.”

The problem was that buildings in the vicinity of the tree had cut branches on one side, causing it to become unbalanced, the minister said.

New laws would be brought in so provincial/municipal institutions could strengthen enforcement of building codes.

“We don’t have a single institution that can issue a warning about a tree. Not one to tell us what trees can or cannot be planted near a road.

“Trees should be suitable for the area. Some trees have roots that spread and damage roads, buildings. When the roots can’t go deep, they tend to topple over.

“Now Environment Day is coming up, and anyone can go plant a tree by the road. We have to take a decision about this. We have to enforce laws strongly in future.” (Colombo/June3/2024)