Interested party deliberately involving Sri Lanka in Middle East conflict? Opposition

• Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said military action cannot be carried out within an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of a country according to international laws and that the attack on the Iranian warship within Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone is a death blow to Sri Lanka’s sovereignty

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana  

Opposition which fired a series of questions on the Middle East conflict questioned as to whether any interested party is deliberately trying to draw Sri Lanka into the conflict.   

Opposition MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake said it is possible that an interested party is deliberately trying to draw Sri Lanka into the conflict. “It is totally unbecoming if such a thing has taken place. The government should clarify this matter as soon as possible,” the MP told Parliament.   

MP Dayasiri Jayasekara reminded the agreement which Sri Lanka signed together with a number of neighbouring countries in the 1970s to declare and maintain the Indian Ocean as a peace zone.   

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said military action cannot be carried out within an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of a country according to international laws and that the attack on the Iranian warship within Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone is a death blow to Sri Lanka’s sovereignty.   

He told Parliament that according to the United Nations Law of the Sea, principals of peaceful purposes and due regards must be adhered to when acting within an Exclusive Economic Zone.   

The Opposition Leader said killings, damages to environment and marine resources are against international law.   

“The Exclusive Economic Zone is for economic activities. It is not for military action,” he added.   

Also, he questioned on the the presence of another Iranian ship near Sri Lanka. This was later confirmed by Chief Government Whip Nalinda Jayatissa   

Meanwhile, it was reported that there are 300 children inside the Iranian ship which is near Sri Lanka .