Sri Lanka was yesterday (23) gripped with fear and speculation following a security alert issued by the US Embassy regarding credible information of a potential attack targeting the popular east coast tourist hot-spot; Arugam Bay. Within hours of the announcement, the United Kingdom, Russia, Australia and New Zealand also flagged concerns regarding a possibility of an attack. It is understood that the focus of the threat is likely a small but visible population of Israeli tourists epi-centred around the Arugam Bay area. While Israeli tourists may be the focus of the threat, an attack, if one manifests to such an eventuality, will likely have collateral damage, which could include many nationalities, including our own. 

To the keen observer of global news and geopolitics, the alert did not come as a surprise. Sri Lankans have rightfully been vocal about what is transpiring in the Middle East, particularly in Iran, Israel and Palestine, and more recently in Lebanon. However, many have completely disregarded the potential for the crisis to impact Sri Lanka directly. Sri Lankan policy-makers and citizenry must wake up to the fact that despite being an island nation with a ‘neutrality’ themed foreign policy, our little island is no longer immune from conflicts and geopolitics of the world. Sri Lanka is a well-networked maritime trade hub, which is increasingly reliant on tourism to sustain its national economy. As such, Sri Lanka should be prepared to weather a myriad of ‘disruptions’ and the impact of them, even if we are not directly involved. We do, after all, live in a globalised world.

Over the last few months, with what has been ongoing in the Middle East, retaliation in some form against Israel and the broader global Jewish community was inevitable. Israel has dealt humiliating attacks against Iran, and all but decimated the leadership structures, of their proxies – Hamas and Hezbollah. Iran and her proxies have been hard-pressed to respond in nature. However, Israel is on a war footing and battle ready, therefore is a ‘hard target’ for retribution. Whereas Israeli tourists and those of Jewish faith worldwide are soft targets; low hanging fruits. The timing of the security concern is apt, with likely suspects; a possible mix of local and foreign extremists, would want to target Jewish persons during their ‘Sukkot’ festival period. ‘Sukkot’ is a weeklong Jewish holiday that comes five days after ‘Yom Kippur’, and this year (2024) falls between 16–23 October. One year ago, on 7 October on ‘Simchat Torah’, more than 1,200 Israeli men, women and children were killed following an unprecedented attack by Hamas terrorists. Yesterday, Israelis gathered for ‘Sukkot’ prayers at the site of the Nova Festival Massacre. Therefore, the timing of the security alert comes amidts possibly one of the most opportune periods for the groups who target Israel, seeking revenge against soft targets during a symbolic period.

However, many Sri Lankans who woke up to the US security alert yesterday were caught unaware, and with carnage of the Easter Sunday bombing, its many subsequent investigations and conspiracy theories fresh in their minds, scrambled to make sense of what is unfolding, fearful of the relative stability the island had hard won, being shattered once again.

However, unbeknown to the masses, the Sri Lankan law enforcement and security establishment has been concerned about tourist safety, ever since travellers began to return in numbers last year. With the onset of the Israel–Hamas conflict and subsequently Israel–Iran conflict, security for tourist hotspots, especially those where there were Israeli citizens, were beefed up. According to the Police, with information of a possible threat received on 7 October, additional security measures were put in place, first discreetly. It is reliably learnt that senior government officials convened a meeting regarding the threat intelligence on Tuesday (22) night and by the early hours of yesterday, additional Police and armed forces units were deployed as a precautionary measure.  

The general panic amongst the citizenry regarding the security alert is due to past experience where the State had failed in the upkeep of national security. While accountability, transparency and justice regarding Easter Sunday bombing continue to remain a contested, and often divisive issue, what transpired yesterday (in public view) and what had been done for several months’ prior, shows one change in the State's behaviour. The State acted on concerns and intelligence regarding this threat, it did not neglect its duties. Yes, the public was not ‘informed’, and there should be a debate about when the public should be informed of an impending threat. 

However, in taking precautionary measures and working to ensure order, and not induce a panic, the State seems to be learning from past mistakes. Let’s hope that the State is indeed evolving, learning and that such constructive action continues.Where the State needs to improve, is with timing of their announcements. If the US was going to issue a security alert, Sri Lanka should have also flagged security concerns to their public, and communicated in a way that does not cause a panic. Let us hope the Government learns and adapts its procedure and instruments to form this issue.