Sri Lanka, June 9 -- Former Chief of Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva has stressed that Sri Lanka should not become an arena for geopolitical rivalry among major powers, emphasising the need for balanced and principled diplomacy to safeguard the country's sovereignty and national interests.

Addressing the 5th Wanshou Dialogue on Global Security in Beijing recently, Silva said the defeat of the LTTE in 2009 underscored the importance of decisive State action against terrorism. However, he noted that the conflict also highlighted how modern wars can become internationalised through external financing networks, propaganda campaigns, illicit arms flows and geopolitical pressures.

Silva said smaller States such as Sri Lanka face increas...