Sri Lanka stands at the crossroads of its destiny, grappling with economic collapse and social unrest as external forces circle like vultures. In this fragile moment, the reckless endorsement of the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) by former President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is not merely a policy misstep—it is a betrayal of our national interest. His push to finalize this agreement, even in the face of severe domestic crisis, is an affront to every Sri Lankan who yearns for genuine sovereignty and self-determination.
The ECTA agreement is framed as a catalyst for economic revival, promising investment and enhanced trade. Yet, beneath its glossy exterior lies a trap—an instrument designed to open our vulnerable economy to external exploitation. By signing away control over critical sectors, Sri Lanka risks becoming ensnared in a web of asymmetrical power relations. Rather than paving the way for sustainable development, ECTA threatens to undermine our autonomy by binding us to conditions that favor foreign interests over the well-being of our own people.
Ranil’s decision to push this agreement forward, especially with India’s Prime Minister in attendance, smacks of opportunism and a complete disregard for the nation’s present suffering. At a time when our economy is crashing and our youth is fleeing in search of hope elsewhere, his cavalier approach is both irresponsible and infuriating. He seems willing to sacrifice our long-term future for a short-term political fix—an act that can only be described as treacherous.
It is important to recognize that this is not merely a technical trade deal. The ECTA agreement represents a fundamental shift in how Sri Lanka will govern its economic destiny. By ceding critical sectors to external control, we risk losing the ability to make independent decisions that directly affect our people’s lives. Economic policies, once tailored to local needs and national priorities, could soon be dictated by distant powers with their own strategic interests. This is not progress—it is surrender.
Our nation has endured enough. Sri Lanka’s history is a testament to the resilience of its people, who have fought against external domination and internal corruption alike. Now, at this defining moment, we must stand together against any policy that compromises our sovereignty. The exploitation inherent in the ECTA agreement cannot be justified by the lure of foreign capital or the empty promises of rapid growth. Instead, it should be rejected outright, for it paves the way for long-term dependency and erodes the very foundation of our national autonomy.
The brutal truth is that Ranil Vikram Sing’s haste to finalize ECTA is a betrayal—a calculated risk that undermines the dignity and future of our nation. We cannot allow opportunists to turn our dire crisis into an avenue for exploitation. The time has come for Sri Lanka to reclaim its narrative, to insist on policies that are driven by the needs of our people rather than the interests of external powers.
In these turbulent times, our collective resolve must be unyielding. Sri Lanka deserves a future where economic recovery is built on self-reliance, not on deals that jeopardize our sovereignty. We demand accountability from our leaders and reject any path that compromises our hard-won independence. The stakes are too high; our nation’s future is non-negotiable.
