• Calls for national maritime intel. centre linked to the NSC
• Opines that SL should improve info. sharing, hydrography and naval capabilities
• Japan is making efforts to improve MDA capacity in IORA: Amb. Isomata

With increasing global focus on the Indo-Pacific and the growth engine shifting to Asia, it is important for Sri Lanka to improve its Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), hydrography and naval capabilities, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe said.

“Sri Lanka needs to improve its MDA capacity and improve hydrography capacity as well. In this, close cooperation between Sri Lanka and Japan is highly desirable. There must also be stronger cooperation between Sri Lankan agencies: Both governmental and non-governmental.  A network of think tanks can make contributions to policy creation for this subject. We also need a national maritime intelligence centre, which can feed the National Security Council (NSC). We must know what is happening outside (the country), we only know what is happening inside. Also, we established the National Hydrography Office (NHO), and we should ensure it functions fully,” Wickremeshinghe opined.

Wickremesinghe made the comments at a workshop on MDA jointly organised by the Embassy of Japan and the Colombo-based think tank, Geopolitical Cartographer, on Wednesday (5). The event saw presentations by subject matter experts from the Japanese Coast Guard, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Information Fusion Center for the Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), and the Maldivian National Defence Force. Following the presentations, a panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities in enhancing MDA in the IOR was held.  The former president warned that the ‘geopolitics of hydrography’ was already active in the Indian Ocean, noting that it makes the need for a robust MDA system and information sharing that much more important.

Speaking at a networking dinner following the workshop, the Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Akio Isomata, stated that Japan was keen to support MDA capacity building in the Indo-Pacific and called the workshop an important meeting.  Ambassador Isomata also pointed out that helping the region build MDA capacity contributed to Japan’s commitment towards a ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ where connectivity and vital lines of commerce were not disturbed or disrupted.

Wickremesinghe thanked Japan’s steadfast support of Sri Lanka over the years and called for better coordination amongst local stakeholders for the effective use of Maritime Domain Awareness, and opined that Sri Lanka needs to develop a clear understanding of its role in the IOR and how the country will employ its naval capacity in the future.

“Sri Lanka must also decide on the role that is going to be played by our Navy. In the long term, we will have to increase and improve our naval and air assets to work in this region. Sri Lanka will continue to become more important in the IOR in the next 50 years. I hope we will continue to have a discussion on what is happening in the Indian Ocean. I hope IORA and the International Hydrography Office (IHO) both should focus on this area also, because MDA and Hydrography will play an important role in what happens in this region,” Wickremesinghe said.