By Faraz Shauketaly

As President Barack Obama travelled across the Arab world recently, seeking to endear the United States to a section of the world who hold the US in some considerable suspicion – and fear – if not viewing the US with trepidation, the young President  unwittingly left out a brief visit to the tiny island of Sri Lanka.  Sri Lanka is one of the few democracies in the globe, that has fought and defeated a grave terror threat that appeared at times to compromise the democracy of which this island is so proud of.

A visit by the President of the United States of America can do much good for this island. President Rajapakse sorely needs recognition if not quiet adulation from the democratised Western powers which, for the balance of the peace in this critical region is critical. At the same time, President Rajapakse has been forced to call on heavily from countries such as Iran, Libya, Russia, India, Pakistan and China.

It is to China that the Rajapakse administration leaned on the most. Striking an arrangement crucial for the axis of relationships in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka has benefitted enormously: a US$ 500 million port in the southern city of Hambantota, roads and especially arms and armaments conjoined by the support China regularly extends Sri Lanka at international fora like the United Nations.

More assistance

China’s assistance to Sri Lanka does not stop with the port: China will be supplying the island’s state owned budget airline, Mihin Lanka with two aircraft in the coming months, just as Mihin Lanka appears to have turned the corner of oblivion and financial loss. Chinese government owned businesses have expressed the desire to build the island’s second airport in the Southern Province, a project that once awarded will see a state-of-the-art airport becoming operational sometime in 2012 – big enough to take the Airbus A-380 which by that time should be in common use.

The United States and India – Sri Lanka’s superpower neighbour – have cause for alarm but India alone understood and continues to understand the predicament that the President of Sri Lanka had — to eradicate the terrorist threat that appeared to consume the peace of his island or to pander to the West and rely on the snails pace those advisories and stratagems would take on the road to peace.

It is therefore important that the United States takes a pro-active and dynamic role in pursuing relationships with Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka may well be the catalyst for a growing call in the East for less reliance on the West and especially to the United States.

Influence

World peace is best policed rather than by international agreements, with influences forged with strategic nations such as Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan location offers the West comfort from two of its ports: Trincomalee – which has been in great demand for a very long time – and the new port at Hambantota, being built with Chinese funds and naturally, Chinese influence.

If the West does indeed care for its standing – strategic and otherwise – and it cares for the growing dominance of China and India in the region as well as the renaissance of Russia too, then it would do well to cast aside the shackles of diplomatic protocol and be proactively seeking to embrace Sri Lanka into its fold. The Unites States and the European Union need to pro-actively support emerging and established democracies such as those in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Democracy is an ideal that takes much time to nurture and foster – the path to democracy is fraught with many a pitfall as elements with vested interests try to gain a foothold taking advantage of weak governance and at times non-existent implementation of programmes. The Sri Lankan President has followed the US lead on web-based pornographic material and on-line casinos without prompting or lobbying from the West.

Right time

Quietly but surely subtle changes are indeed being made, the West instead of wagging the proverbial finger at the island’s leadership, should be astute enough to articulate and help to maximise the climate of opportunity that exists now in terms of good governance, a fair and lasting co-existence amongst the various communities, freedom of the press, strong commitment to issues of land and to strengthen the role of the judiciary.

Yes, the time is right for the US President to pass by and have a tete-a-tete with his counterpart from Sri Lanka.  By encouraging personally, President Rajapakse to be quick in resolving the return of people held within camps to their homes, President Obama will be able to demonstrate his personal commitment of wishing to be a dynamic partner in the final democratisation of Sri Lanka’s newly created peace. It is a legacy that President Mahinda Rajapakse can proudly take with him out of office and into retirement.

President Rajapakse is sailing driven by the wind of change that he created for Sri Lanka. It is he who can tweak the sails of peace for Sri Lanka – with a little encouragement from President Barack Obama.

(faraz@thesundayleader.lk)