This week’s news cycle is a buzz with the latest escalation in the ongoing dispute between the Chief Incumbent of the Mihintale Raja Maha Viharaya and the Government, with the monk alleging that his life was in danger from some of the military personnel deployed at the premises. 

The ongoing dispute which began with an electricity tariff increment and threats to disconnect the power supply to the historic site if bills are not paid, has today snowballed into a “press conference and parliament” theatrical performance, with allegations of planned assassinations and more.

While, there is clearly some politics at play regarding the incident going by the political actors both in and out of Parliament, that stages a different narrative about the matter,  the “Mihintale” issue that has now conveniently become a smokescreen which allows matters which should receive public attention, go by with little scrutiny.  

The Ministry of Defence earlier this week ordered nearly 250 members of the armed forces and Civil Defence Department (CSD) to decamp from the Mihintale Raja Maha Viharaya. However, nearly 40 police officers are to remain for the “protection” of the historic temple, which is also a key tourist attraction. And, as at many key public destinations across the world, the need for a law enforcement presence to ensure safety and security of the public and tourists is not an uncommon phenomenon.  While Sri Lanka has a history of places of worship being targeted by terrorists and extremists, most recently during the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, the need for armed forces to be deployed en masse to places of worship is not a security practice that is seen used frequently in other countries. The Ministry of Defence itself states that the 250 personnel were deployed for maintenance, construction and cleaning duties at the site. Why armed forces are used for such a role is a question successive governments have not been able to explain with a straight face. If security and safety on such sites is a concern, it is a role and task for the law enforcement agencies to handle.

When the Ranil Wickremesinghe – SLPP Government took office, one of the key reform narratives that was introduced was to “right size” the large military establishment, which has over a decade of “peace” taken a lion’s share of taxpayers’ funds to sustain. The Government enthusiastically announced a “defence review” stating that it plans to reform and reorganised the armed forces to a lean, mean and more hitech-driven machine by 2030. When the announcement was made, the defence establishment said it will move to remove armed forces from a range of “non-defence”-related roles which the previous Rajapaksha Government’s had pushed them into. The fact that nearly 250 were stationed at a place of worship for maintenance and cleaning duties, only to be withdrawn this week, is telling of how committed the Government is to their own policy goals.

In Singapore, a nation Sri Lankan policymakers often say we should emulate, the Singapore Armed Forces cite their mission as; “to enhance Singapore's peace and security through deterrence and diplomacy, and should these fail, to secure a swift and decisive victory over the aggressor”. However, in Sri Lanka, the policymakers seem to continue to view the role of the armed forces in a different light. Perhaps, they have got used to treating the armed forces like an “able-and-willing manpower component” which can be used as a tool for almost any issue, which they do not have a proper solution for. It seems, the armed forces are the Government’s “band-aid” to contain issues which they do not have a political will to resolve. The term “national security” is one that has over the decades been politicised, misused and abused in Sri Lanka, and today is often used to push political narratives. This is a dangerous trend, and one Sri Lanka cannot afford to see continue. It leaves the armed forces deviated from their traditional role of defence, and distracted from adapting to face evolving threats and challenges.