In the fourth installment of our miniseries "Sri Lanka: Debt, Development, and Democracy?", we interview incumbent State Minister of Regional Cooperation Tharaka Balasuriya to get the Government's take on economic diplomacy, U.S.-China, and the response to the United Nations Human Rights Council initiatives against Sri Lanka. Mr. Balasuriya, whose role is new and similar to that of a Deputy Foreign Minister with a regional focus, gives his take on the state of Sri Lankan foreign policy under the Rajapaksa Government, first discussing Sri Lanka's regional relations, highlighting ties with India. The State Minister disputes the notion that the Rajapaksa Government is 'pro-China', blames the previous government for the 99-year lease on the Hambantota Port, but does assert that China has been helpful to Sri Lanka's economic priorities. Balasuriya outlines why the Sri Lankan Government rejected the U.S. Millennium Challenge Compact (a proposed deal which was the subject of a visit to Sri Lanka by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo a week before the 2020 Presidential Election), while asserting that U.S.-Sri Lankan relations are good, and asserting that Sri Lanka wants to maintain geopolitical neutrality. The State Minister rounds out the conversation with his response to initiatives by the United Nations Human Rights Council that have sought to bring about accountability with regards to the controversial ending of the Sri Lankan Civil War -- initiatives which were rejected on the day of our interview by Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G. L. Peiris, Mr. Balasuriya's immediate superior.
While Mr. Balasuriya provides the Government's perspective on these key foreign policy issues, you can hear from other voices in the miniseries (and also hear A'ndre and Ryan's reactions to the interviews) via the links below:
Episode 1: Journalist Uditha Jayasinghe on the State of Sri Lanka's Political and Economic Landscape
Episode 2: Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on U.S.-China, Domestic Governance, and Political Turmoil
Episode 3: Tamil National Alliance MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam on Post-War Reconciliation and Political Enfranchisement
Episode 4: State Minister of Regional Cooperation Tharaka Balasuriya on Economic Diplomacy, U.S.-China, and the UNHRC