| by Upul Joseph Fernando
( June 5, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Last week President Mahinda Rajapaksa paid an official visit to China. One of the crucial acts performed during this visit was the signing of several agreements with the Government of China, causing concern in neighbouring India. According to Indian and international news reports, the agreements appear to have raised security concerns of India.
In politics, Mahinda Rajapaksa represents the policies of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). Since the good old days when the Bandaranaikes reigned supreme in the SLFP, its policy in respect of India and China was a closely balanced act, performed with extreme caution. A good example was when the Sino-India border dispute broke out in 1962 and Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the then Prime Minister intervened to resolve it by peaceful means with the ready approval of both countries. Maureen Seneviratne in her biography of Mrs. Bandaranaike has this to say about the intervention.
The policy of positive neutralism as followed by the Sirimavo Government enabled her to initiate peace moves over the Sino-Indian border dispute in 1962. On Sirimavo's invitation five non-aligned countries – the United Arab Republic, Burma, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Ghana – met in conference in Colombo with Ceylon's representatives. In her opening speech at the conference, Sirimavo said: "Our meeting today is symbolic of the mutual understanding and feelings of brotherhood, which unite our countries in the spirit of non-alignment. This is the common faith which binds us together in our endeavours. We are faced today with a problem as grave that it brooks no delay; a problem which is a threat to our very existence and to non-alignment itself.
"It is my firm conviction that non-alignment and the future of humanity are inextricably linked together. The border dispute between India and China, which we are about to discuss is the greatest challenge which non-alignment and Afro-Asian solidarity have had to face. For the first time, it is our misfortune to witness two great nations of Asia in armed conflict."
At the conclusion of the conference the six countries decided Sirimavo should convey the proposals for peace negations to the two countries, India and China, and soon Sirimavo left her home to fly thousands of miles to ensure peace by negotiations (L. Senaratne: Heirs of History).
Genuine enthusiasm
The people of both China and India have consistently displayed a genuine enthusiasm for the world's first woman Prime Minister. She was almost swamped by flowers and bonhomie in China and weighted down with garlands and goodwill in India. Addressing the Chinese people at a reception organized for her by the Prime Minister of China, Sirimavo said:
"I have come to China not only as the Prime Minister of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) but as a representative of six non-aligned countries, which participated in the Colombo Conference three weeks ago. I convened this conference because it is my earnest hope with the assistance of friendly countries, peace could be restored to the border between China and India and it is that firm conviction that brings me here today. The proposals of the conference of six non-aligned Afro-Asian countries, which it is an honour to convey to their respective Prime Ministers, are intended to assist China and India to find a basis for negotiation and peaceful settlements of the question under dispute".
China accepted the proposals of the Colombo Powers in principal and India accepted them in toto. The Sino-Indian war, which had perturbed the world, ceased thereafter, and has not recommenced. "These were two memorable occasions," said Sirimavo, "They helped to build the image of Buddhist Sri Lanka as a force for 'ahimsa', for peace and goodwill in the world. The Buddhist principles 'pancha seela' governed the tenets of our foreign policy and we made the world aware of this praiseworthy principle.
However, today Sri Lanka is seen by the world media as a meddler spawning trouble in the Asian region by stoking intense rivalry between the two Asian powers. It does not auger well for Sri Lanka. But more seriously, it is seen as a threat to the security of the entire Asian region. Moreover, it is a negation of the SLFP core foreign policy principles long cherished by its former leaders. Reminding one of the SLFP foreign policy over the years would bring to light a fact with inherent wisdom, which is, Sri Lanka will gain more from playing the peace card instead of the China card in the diplomatic arena.
 Last week President Mahinda Rajapaksa paid an official visit...){kind=link}