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By Sandun Jayawardana

The escalating conflict in West Asia and its impact on the country dwarfed all other topics in Parliament as lawmakers tried to keep pace with fast-moving developments in a war that had unexpectedly come to Sri Lanka’s own doorstep.

Opposition MPs had questioned the government during the start of the Wednesday’s (4) parliamentary proceedings on reports of an Iranian vessel being in distress near Sri Lankan waters off Galle. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath confirmed the matter, identifying the Iranian vessel as the IRIS Dena, which had sent a distress signal earlier that morning stating that it was sinking. The vessel was not located in Sri Lankan territorial waters but was in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone, the minister said, adding that a joint navy and air force operation had been launched to rescue those onboard. It was later revealed that 32 sailors had been rescued from the vessel and over 80 bodies recovered.  

The conflict began with the U.S. and Israel carrying out joint attacks on Iran, with other nations in the region also being caught up in Iran’s retaliatory strikes targeting US military bases and other interests in those countries. Expressing the government’s stance, Minister Herath said Sri Lanka expresses deep concern regarding the rapid escalation of the conflict, adding that it poses a grave threat to regional stability, as well as to international peace and security. He emphasised that Sri Lanka calls on all concerned parties to exercise maximum restraint and to take immediate and decisive action to de-escalate tensions. “All parties must refrain from further provocative measures to prevent the risk of a wider regional conflict that would result in severe humanitarian and economic consequences,” said the minister.

The minister also stressed that the government was focused on ensuring the safety of more than one million Sri Lankan migrant workers in the affected West Asian region through the country’s diplomatic missions in these countries, while the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment has also established a 24-emergency response centre to assist with any inquires.

Several opposition MPs attacked the government on Thursday over the government’s stance over the attack on Iran by the U.S. and Israel, as well as its handling of the sinking of IRIS Dena after the U.S. admitted one of its submarines had been responsible for sinking the vessel. Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Kurunegala District MP Dayasiri Jayasekara demanded to know why the government had failed to voice its condemnation of the attack on Iran. Some SJB MPs also accused the government of delaying giving approval to the IRIS Dena to enter Sri Lankan waters, resulting it being attacked by a U.S. submarine. No SJB MP provided evidence to back up the accusation.  

There were heated arguments between the government and opposition on Friday as well as the government tabled the Resolution under the Public Security Ordinance to further extend the state of emergency imposed in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah in November. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa questioned how the government, with a state of emergency in effect, the armed forces supposedly in a state of utmost readiness and frequent meetings of the National Security Council, had still been unaware that a U.S. submarine was roaming in Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). While welcoming the government’s decision to accept the 208 sailors from a second Iranian naval vessel, IRIS Bushehr, Mr. Premadasa claimed that the lives of some 130 others onboard the IRIS Dena could have been saved had the government acted earlier to allow the vessel to enter Sri Lankan waters. The opposition leader asked what diplomatic steps the government had taken to affirm that Sri Lanka’s EEZ belongs to the country. He also questioned what the government was doing to ensure the continued supply of oil and gas following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, pointing out that the U.S. had granted India a 30-day waiver to purchase Russian oil. The price of imported medicines and food too would also rise, while tourism will be severely impacted owing to the suspension of most air services out of West Asia, he also observed.

The world today is experiencing a period of heightened geopolitical tension. Conflict and confrontation in different regions have begun to intersect with critical global trade, routes and energy corridors, said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment, Arun Hemachandra. The rapid escalation of hostilities in West Asia has raised serious concerns about regional stability and international peace and security, he added. “Sri Lanka believes firmly that diplomacy must prevail over confrontation,” Mr. Hemachandra added. “At the heart of these tensions lies a fundamental question about the international system itself; whether the world will continue to be guided by international law and a rules-based order, or whether the stability of regions and sea lanes will increasingly be shaped by confrontation and unilateral action. For countries such as Sri Lanka, the answer to that question is of vital importance.”

Mr. Hemachandra pointed out that Sri Lanka is a maritime nation located at the centre of the Indian Ocean, with the waters surrounding the island forming one of the most important maritime corridors in the world. Any instability affecting these maritime corridors has the potential to influence global shipping costs, insurance rates, fuel prices and supply chains, he noted. “For these reasons, Sri Lanka strongly believes that the Indian Ocean must remain governed by the principles of international law,” he stressed.