LyrArc Article Gist
This op-ed in the WSJ calls for increased trade and investment and closer U.S. ties with Sri Lanka, an Indian Ocean island nation of 21 million people at the southernmost tip of India. This follows the election of Maithripala Sirisena as the new president in the recent election. Formerly called Ceylon, this nation and India share a long tradition of democratic processes and free press since independence for almost 7 decades. These are the only 6 nations with British influence that have preserved democratic processes and mutiparty systems, including a vibrant free press, gradually established during the period of British rule- the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, and Ceylon or Sri Lanka as it is now called. These institutions were transferred to 2 nations during a short period of American rule- Japan and Germany. Western Europe, and Eastern European countries since the fall of the Berlin Wall have joined this core group of countries. All these countries have a common bond and interest in building and strengthening democratic institutions and shared prosperity in a larger global neighborhood. Other countries in the British Commonwealth have struggled to develop multiparty systems and free press such as Malaysia, Ghana and Kenya, or had periods of military rule as Nigeria. Indonesia and South Korea have emerged from periods of military rule and are developing effective democratic processes to join what is now a large community of nations with a common interest in democratic process, truly functioning democracy, respect for the opposition, and freedom of people to express their views to participate in the working of government.