Page 84 - MDSL Final

MARITIME DOCTRINE OF SRI LANKA
dimensions and threatening the IOR security. Huge sea area and the
economic, social and religious differences are the barriers to root out
the threats. Environmental degradation, climatic changes and natural
disasters have been emerging as burning issues in the region over the
years. The involvement of different groups with different ideologies
has generated a complicated environment and due to this, authorities
have found it really difficult to find concrete solutions. Terrorist, drug
trafficking and arms smuggling gangs are inter linked and operate both
inland and the sea. Their modus operandi is difficult to spot and also,
they fuel the non-state actors to rise against legitimate governments. All
these activities ultimately affect the security of the major SLOC which
bridge the East-West trade across the IOR.

Countries in the IOR are heavily dependent on the sea routes for their
trade activities, thus established various means of Maritime Domain
Awareness (MDA). From the Sri Lanka’s perspective, like many other
states, it shares vital maritime information by interacting through
various means such as participating in regional maritime joint exercises,
discussions and conferences such as the Indian Ocean Rim-Association
for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC), Indian Ocean Naval Symposium
(IONS), the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and
Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) conducting international
maritime conferences such as ‘Galle Dialogue’ and entering into white
shipping agreements with other countries.

The issues and threats in IOR will continue to evolve and many of the
government and non-government organisations are involved in the
process for securing better environment for all the states and seafarers.
Yet the mechanism for implementation is required to strengthen with
the policies formulated covering all the requirements for monitoring
maritime activities through collective surveillance. There are many
individuals and regional groups that continue to work in the domain
awareness, but global analysis as how to integrate the common and
critical requirements need to be addressed in order to enhance the
shared MDA.

66 To Nurture a Stable Environment at Sea