Sri Lanka's humanitarian position and refusal to be complicit in war is a lesson for nations big and small
Sri Lanka is a small nation, seldom the focus of international attention beyond its tourism industry.
Despite years of economic challenges, it has shown the world that principles can still matter – even if only in a single, striking moment.
Rarely do small nations rise to the occasion guided by moral conviction. More often than not, they are preoccupied with political repercussions.
The sequence of events began on 26 February, two days before the United States and Israel launched their military offensive against Iran.
On that day, the US requested permission to land two aircraft armed with anti-ship missiles at Mattala Rajapaksa airport in the south of the country.
That same day, Iran also requested permission for three naval vessels to make a goodwill visit to Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lankan government denied both requests.
Then, on 4 March, a US Navy submarine torpedoed the Iranian warship Iris Dena in the Indian Ocean, within Sri Lanka’s exclusive economic zone.
The Sri Lankan government offered humanitarian assistance to the survivors and admitted a second Iranian vessel, Irins Bushehr – which apparently had engine issues – to Sri Lankan ports, helping shelter its crew.
On 20 March, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake made an astonishing disclosure in parliament, revealing these decisions to the public. He said the government had turned down both requests to maintain Sri Lanka’s neutrality in the ongoing US–Israel war on Iran.
Dissanayake’s statement drew significant attention in the international media. Clarifying the decisions, he stated: “…while safeguarding neutrality, we place humanity above all else… If there are actions that must be taken to protect human lives, we will not hesitate to take them under any circumstances.”
In this instance, Sri Lanka has shown many countries around the world, especially smaller ones, that principles and convictions matter. A country should always hold steadfast to its principles in the conduct of its foreign policy and should not be intimidated.
Sri Lanka took these decisions even though it is still recovering from economic collapse and remains heavily indebted to other nations, making it vulnerable to external influence.
Yet, this episode provides an invaluable lesson for many other countries: a sovereign country, irrespective of its size, can decide without fear or favour on critical issues in the best interest of its people.
Sri Lanka has earned the respect of many countries around the world for these courageous decisions.
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