Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has questioned how a foreign submarine was able to enter Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) without the government being aware.
Speaking during the debate on the state of emergency in Parliament today, Premadasa said it was concerning that authorities claiming national security was at its highest level appeared unaware that a submarine had entered Sri Lanka’s EEZ and carried out an attack on an Iranian vessel.
He said the government must explain how a submarine was able to operate in Sri Lankan waters without detection, especially at a time when emergency regulations had been imposed, citing national security concerns.
“If a submarine had entered our waters 40 nautical miles from Sri Lanka, did we not have the technology to detect it? Do we not have surface radars? Sonobuoys or underwater sonar networks? Do we not have towed sonars or satellite surveillance? At a time when our national security was at its highest level, a submarine entered our Exclusive Economic Zone and carried out an attack. But the government said it was not sure of the cause. This alone shows the level of our national security,” he said.
Premadasa noted that the Iranian naval vessel attacked within Sri Lanka’s EEZ resulted in significant casualties, with over a hundred sailors reported dead before the rescue of 208 crew members from the second Iranian vessel.
The Opposition Leader also called on the government to clarify what diplomatic measures had been taken to safeguard Sri Lanka’s EEZ and whether international maritime laws had been violated by the attack.
Premadasa further warned that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could have serious economic consequences for Sri Lanka, including rising fuel, gas, medicine and food prices.
He urged the government to explore immediate fuel procurement options from India and Russia to mitigate potential shortages caused by disruptions to shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
Premadasa also cautioned against allowing the sunken Iranian vessel to trigger an environmental disaster similar to previous maritime incidents such as the X-Press Pearl and New Diamond, urging authorities to closely monitor potential ocean pollution.
He further called on the government to ensure the safety of nearly one million Sri Lankan workers in the Middle East, whose remittances contribute significantly to the country’s economy.
The Opposition Leader made these remarks while participating in the Parliamentary debate on the emergency regulations. (Newswire)