A new defense cooperation agreement signed between Sri Lanka and the United States has ignited a fierce political debate, with critics demanding full transparency and warning of grave geopolitical consequences for the island nation.

On November 14, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence announced it had entered into an agreement with the United States under the U.S. Department of Defense's 'State Partnership Program' (SPP). The agreement was signed by Defence Secretary (Rtd.) Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha for Sri Lanka, and by U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung and Major General Trenton Gibson of the Montana National Guard for the United States.

While presented as a move to enhance security cooperation, the agreement has drawn sharp criticism from the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), which has labeled it a "secret and dangerous pact" that compromises Sri Lanka's long-standing non-aligned foreign policy.

In a strongly worded statement, the FSP argues that the SPP, established by the U.S. in 1993, is a tool for advancing American military interests by utilizing the strategic locations, ports, and facilities of partner nations. They contend that by signing this, Sri Lanka is being drawn into volatile global conflicts.

"The government has decided to tie Sri Lanka to the aggressive military operations of the United States at a moment when imperialists led by the U.S. are engaged in bloody wars," the FSP statement reads, pointing to U.S. involvement in Ukraine via NATO and its role in the Middle East conflict.

The party outlines several critical concerns.

• Undermining Non-Alignment: The move is seen as a definitive rejection of Sri Lanka’s traditional non-aligned foreign policy, tilting it firmly towards a U.S.-led bloc.
  
  

• Indo-Pacific Tensions: The agreement is viewed as aligning Sri Lanka with the U.S. 'Indo-Pacific Strategy,' which aims to counter China's influence. This, the FSP warns, could position Sri Lanka as a pawn in a great power struggle in the Indian Ocean.
  
  

• The 'QUAD' Connection: The FSP highlights that this pact follows similar defense agreements with India (April 5) and Japan (September 29). As India, Japan, the U.S., and Australia form the 'QUAD'—a security dialogue often dubbed the "Asian NATO"—the FSP claims Sri Lanka is effectively becoming an auxiliary partner to this military alliance.
  
  

• A Step Towards SOFA?: There are fears that this SPP agreement could be an intermediate step towards the highly controversial Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which the U.S. has previously pushed for and which would grant extensive privileges to U.S. military personnel on Sri Lankan soil.

Perhaps the most serious charge leveled by the FSP is the lack of transparency. The party condemns the government for failing to disclose the contents of the agreement to the public or even to Parliament. "How does making critically important decisions about people's lives in secret, relate to the good political culture and democratic reforms the government constantly talks about?" they question.

The FSP is demanding that the government immediately publicize the full text of the agreement and nullify it, citing global opposition to the SPP as evidence that it is not in Sri Lanka's best interests. They have called for a broad public movement to oppose what they see as a move that turns Sri Lanka into a "puppet state" and jeopardizes the safety of its people by entangling them in "destructive imperialist wars."

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