Page 76 - MDSL Final

MARITIME DOCTRINE OF SRI LANKA
improved surveillance and effective legal mechanism where Global
Maritime Crime Programme (GMCP) of UNODC made a pivotal role and
having Onboard Security Teams (OBST) have greatly contributed to curb
piracy in this region.
However, still the possibility of growing piracy activities in the region
cannot be ruled out. As unimpeded SLOC in the IOR is strategically
important for East-West trade. Therefore, the security of this region is a
matter of global concern.

Even though there are no reported acts of piracy in Sri Lankan waters, an
Act to provide for the suppression of piracy in Sri Lanka is in place since
2001, to legally defend with prospective offenders.

Maritime Terrorism

Continuous strengthening of non-state actors has created an asymmetric
type of threat to the IOR. Non-state actors like extremist ideology
groups, crime syndicates, insurgents and terrorist groups act freely and
have links with each other due to poor governance, weak border control
and inadequate coastal protection of the region.

Attack on naval and commercial shipping by Sea Tiger Wing of Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) using surface attack craft, suicide craft, sea
mines in the form of moored mines, ground mines, drifting mines, limpet
mines, floating omni-directional claymores, human torpedoes and
suicide divers caused huge lost in both human and financial resources.
In addition the assymetric tactics used by LTTE posed a threat to the
maritime security in IOR until their defeat in 2009. 46

Some IED’s Developed and Used by LTTE

58 To Nurture a Stable Environment at Sea