Sri Lanka’s decision to skip the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China has drawn criticism from opposition lawmaker Mujibur Rahman, who suggested the move may have been made under pressure from the United States.
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP warned that the decision could undermine Sri Lanka’s long-standing non-aligned foreign policy and result in missed economic opportunities.
“The summit focused on regional coordination, trade facilitation, and technology sharing. By not attending, Sri Lanka has lost valuable ground in fostering regional cooperation,” Rahman told reporters in Colombo.
He further claimed that previous Sri Lankan governments had upheld a balanced foreign policy, but the current administration risks aligning too closely with the West.
“There’s a growing perception that Sri Lanka is shifting away from neutrality and being seen internationally as pro-Western,” he said.
Rahman also questioned whether Washington’s influence was behind the decision. “Even Pakistan, which receives greater U.S. trade concessions than Sri Lanka, took part in the summit. Why didn’t we?”
He also criticised President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recent visit to the Katchatheevu island, following comments by Tamil Nadu politician and actor C. Joseph Vijay, who had called for the island’s return to India.
“Vijay is a newcomer to politics and not even confirmed as Tamil Nadu’s next Chief Minister. Should a Sri Lankan President be reacting to such statements?” he asked.
Rahman reminded that previous Tamil Nadu leaders had made similar claims over Katchatheevu, but successive Indian central governments had not acted on them.
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