Is a Non-aligned Defence Policy the Best Option for Sri Lanka`s Economic Prosperity?

Abstract

Despite international warnings on a possible ISIS attack, the ‘Easter Sunday Attack’ on Sri Lanka confirmed the fact that political agendas and state security must never be tangled. Though in 2009, Sri Lanka was a country capable enough to defeat the world’s most brutal terrorist organization, right after ten years, in 2019, ‘too much freedom, too much reconciliation and too much political compromises’ led to ignoring the intelligence reports on State security. Unlike other countries, from ancient era, location of Sri Lanka has made it a ‘hot spot’ in geopolitical warfare. In this backdrop, even though ISIS took over the responsibility of ‘Easter Sunday Attack’ in Sri Lanka, it is imperative to answer, Why Sri Lanka? Therefore, the research problem of this paper is to mainly focus on why ISIS chose Sri Lanka to launch this attack? In order to find possible answers, the research methodology adopted focussed on secondary data sources of media and internet. It is pertinent to mention that this research is explorative rather than explanative, basically to secure Sri Lanka’s future economic growth and geopolitical stability by pursuing a non-aligned strategy. Ultimately, it is the prime objective of the research outcomes to emphasis on policies and strategies for strategic defence of Sri Lanka in geopolitical realities and furthermore to introduce recommendations to the legal framework which is the need of the hour to support Sri Lanka’s defence policy. This research has steered clear from not making conclusions, however the inferences been made could instigate a certain course of action which the author believes the national defence and economic experts are in the best position to consider.