Natasha Fernando is a Research Assistant at the Institute of National Security Studies Sri Lanka (INSSSL). INSSSL is the Think Tank of Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence. This article does not reflect the stance of the government of Sri Lanka or INSSSL and the views presented is the writers. She holds LLB honors from University of London and a BA honors in International Studies.
by Natasha Fernando 28 November 2018 Maritime piracy is a significant threat to safe navigation of the seas. Due to the rise of Somali piracy, different states entered collaborative defense pacts to mitigate the threat. Among these inter-governmental coalitions are those of the European Union Naval Force, Operation Ocean Shield, Combined Task Forces
READ MOREImage credit: INSSSL by Natasha Fernando 9 November 2018 In the month of March 2018, Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency following riots and communal violence in the Central Province. An incident in Ampara, of North Eastern Province followed a claim by an individual to have come across ‘infertility pills’ in a plate of food at
READ MOREWikipedia By Natasha Fernando The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a sub-regional organization comprised of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand. [[i]]BIMSTEC has defined itself as a ‘sector-driven’ organization for cooperation in areas of mutual interest which includes, trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism, fisheries,
READ MOREby Natasha Fernando 27 August 2018 Recently, the Japanese Minister of Defence Itsunori Onodera, the Ambassador of Japan in Sri Lanka Mr.Kenichi Sugunuma, Defence Advisor to the Japanese embassy Captain Atsuhiro Morore, and representatives of Japanese government paid a visit to Sri Lanka’s Eastern Naval Command Headquarters in Trincomalee and the Hambantota Port. The Japanese have
READ MOREby Natasha Fernando 26 July 2018 It is not disputed that S.W.R.D Bandaranaike was the founding father of the non-aligned foreign policy of Sri Lanka when he became Prime Minister in 1956. This was when the Second World War was over, and the world turned in to a tight bi-polar system dominated by
READ MOREThe Indian Ocean has immense strategic and economic value, due to trade and commercial activities. However, maritime crime which includes: piracy, human, drug and weapons trafficking have posed a threat to safe navigation of the seas. A Stimson Institute study (2012) on maritime security challenges in Indian Ocean region identifies the following: it
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