A need for joining forces in order to fight piracy off Indian Ocean
Co-operation among countries with interests in the Indian Ocean is essential to effectively fight Somali piracy against merchant ships which could threaten trade if unchecked, a Sri Lanka defence official said.
“It is our belief that the lasting solution to threats of this nature cannot be undertaken by individual nations in isolation, but only through greater international cooperation,” declared Gotabaya Rajapaksa, secretary to Sri Lanka’s defence ministry.
Steps taken by ship owners against hijackings of merchant vessels have been seen to be largely ineffective, he told the “Galle Dialogue” Maritime Conference which opened Monday in the southern port town of Galle.
And interventions made by individual nations in providing greater protection for merchant vessels have not been uniform, he said.
Military officers and academics from 19 countries are taking part in the forum, which was initiated in 2010 by Sri Lanka to help foster cooperation between nations interested in the security of the Indian Ocean region.
“In the present era, the increasing sophistication of criminal networks and non-state actors makes it difficult for individual nations to withstand the threats posed by them if they stand alone,” Rajapaksa said.
“That is why Sri Lanka, as one of the smaller naval powers in the Indian Ocean, hopes to see greater cooperation within the region.”
Rajapaksa said major powers in the region should work together with all affected nations to ensure that the seas are safe as the Indian Ocean is important not only for regional nations, but also the world economy.
Rajapaksa said the piracy threat would not have grown to its present proportions had there been more co-operation among countries with interests in the Indian Ocean.
“To combat this threat, it is vital that the maritime powers cooperate by sharing intelligence, and enhance maritime domain awareness through joint and coordinated patrols as well as exercises to enhance interoperability,” Rajapaksa said.
“Providing assistance to improve the resources and capabilities of less advanced naval powers will also enhance overall maritime security.”
Both coastal nations and those with trade interests in the region were threatened by Somali piracy as well as drugs and human smuggling, he said.
“It is important to realise that most of the maritime security problems we presently face could have been mitigated at an earlier stage if sufficient cooperation had existed between the naval powers,” Rajapaksa said.
“The piracy originating from Somalia had the space to grow from a small, localised problem into a major maritime threat largely as a result of international inaction.”
Source: LBO
