The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) has called for the immediate cancellation of a “secretive and dangerous” defence agreement allegedly signed between Sri Lanka and India during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Colombo on April 5.
Speaking at a press conference held at the party’s headquarters in Nugegoda, FSP Education Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda labelled the agreement a “betrayal of the nation” and a “crime against the people,” and urged the government to invoke Clause 12 of the deal, which allows either party to withdraw with three months’ notice.
The agreement, which reportedly surfaced on social media and has not been officially denied by the government, bears the alleged signatures of Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Sampath Thuiyakontha and Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha.
Jayagoda noted that the government’s continued silence on the matter lends credibility to the document’s authenticity.
“What is most alarming is the level of secrecy. Unlike the 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord, which was made public in full, this agreement was hidden from the public. Even now, the full extent of its content remains unknown,” he said.
According to the FSP, a Right to Information (RTI) request filed on April 4 yielded a response from the President’s Office claiming it had no copy of the agreement.
“This raises serious questions. Has the President even seen the agreement?” Jayagoda asked.
The agreement, said to contain 12 clauses, reportedly covers wide-ranging defence cooperation including training, military exchanges, defence industry collaboration, battlefield medical services, and the protection of classified information.
Jayagoda expressed particular concern over Clause 7, which broadly defines “classified information” and allegedly prohibits the disclosure of any military transfers, even after the agreement ends.
He also criticised Clause 10, which reportedly bars both nations from taking disputes to international courts or involving third parties in mediation. “It’s like asking a rabbit to negotiate with a tiger,” Jayagoda noted.
He accused the NPP-led government of hypocrisy, recalling that the JVP, now a leading component of the ruling alliance, had once opposed foreign military involvement during the 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord.
“Now they have signed an even more dangerous deal,” he said.
The FSP called on citizens to resist such agreements that, in their view, compromise national sovereignty.
“We urge the people to unite and defeat these underhanded deals. The FSP is ready to lead that fight,” Jayagoda added.
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