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Sri Lanka Army

Defender of the Nation

Defence Seminar – 2013 to Focus on 'Post-Conflict Sri Lanka – Challenges &;amp; Regional Stability' - Commander of the Army

Initial planning and arrangements are underway to hold the 3rd Defence Seminar - 2013 under the theme ‘Post-Conflict Sri Lanka – Challenges & Regional Stability’ at Colombo Galadari Hotel during September 3 - 5, 2013, the Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya said Wednesday (23) afternoon during a media briefing at Army Headquarters.

This year’s comprehensive sessions while focusing on Post-Conflict Reconstruction, Social Integration, Reconciliation (1st Day), Regional Stability at Regional Level (2nd Day) will seek possibilities of further strengthening Regional Stability at Global Perspective on the final day of the deliberations, giving an analytical approach to the Sri Lankan case study, the Commander said.

Lieutenant General Jayasuriya further told the briefing that Invitations to foreign delegates/contributors/observers of more than 62 nations have already been sent by the Army and the seminar would guarantee a wide scope of thought-provoking and lively interactive sessions, in a milieu of professional candour and intellectual understanding, he said.  

“Defence Seminar is a learning process and past two seminars were a huge success. In the 2012 one we deviated from military perspectives and dwelt on our ongoing nation-building roles in the post-war scenario. What is special this year would be the selection of international think-tanks, preferably those not belonging to any state. More than military personnel, there will be contribution from those independent intellectuals who can enlighten on these topical matters”, the Commander said.

Referring to the previous year’s seminar and its outcome, the Commander said that some of the speakers and attendees in the 2012 seminar have already indicated their willingness to participate in the forthcoming one too. Of them, participants from SAARC countries have shown much interest. ‘In the last year one there were 109 foreign delegates, including diplomats, resident here. We are in consultation with the Ministry of External Affairs in selecting more and more foreign participants. It is evident that several countries are now sending more and more of their military officers for Army training exercises, for example, like the recent, Exercise Cormorant.’ That suggests that there exists a tendency on the part of foreign armies to learn our battlefield experience, more than ever before. They know that we teach them through ground realities which we experienced unlike those who are still trying to find solutions to their own. Sri Lanka in that direction remains exceptional as one which has found a solution to the question of terrorism in the 21st century”, he added.

This year’s sessions are to be led by panelists of international fame, representing national, regional and global perspectives and security issues.

Sri Lanka’s march to economic development and prosperity after overcoming all challenges in the 30 year-long conflict would also generate valuable insights on both regional and international security issues as Sri Lanka has a lot to offer in terms of its battlefield experience, Lieutenant General Jayasuriya added.

The re-designed Defence Seminar Website www.defseminar.lk, was also launched by the Commander of the Army at the same occasion at the invitation of Director Media, Brigadier G V Ravipriya. Brigadier Ralph Nugera, Director Training, responsible for all coordination work and seminar arrangements of the Defence Seminar 2013 also contributed to the media queries during the press briefing.   

In the past two years, the Army organized Defence Seminars discussed a wide spectrum of themes, such as ‘Defeating Terrorism - The Sri Lankan Experience’ (2011) and ‘Lasting Peace Towards Stability through 5Rs’ (2012) with the participation of many foreign and local invitees.   

The Defence Seminar, a conceptual notion of the Secretary Defence and Urban Development, implemented by the Army on the directions of the Commander of the Army, has its own modified website, www.defseminar.lk, providing updates on the conduct of the sessions.