Colombo [Sri Lanka], March 9 : Leader of the Opposition of Sri Lanka Sajith Premadasa on Monday said all nations must adhere to the highest standards of ethics and morality.
Premadasa, while talking to ANI, said that Sri Lanka is facing multiple challenges and is a risk-prone country at this particular juncture.
"We have to ensure that in the conduct of international relations and governmental policies, we adhere to the highest standards of ethics and morality. We have to ensure that we abide by the norms, conventions, customs, and also prescriptions provided by international law and international humanitarian law. What we have in this conflict today is the prevalence of unilateralism over multilateralism. Sri Lanka is facing multiple challenges and we are a risk-prone country at this particular juncture. As such, we need to protect our interests, our national interests, and also the interests of 22 million people," he said.
Premadasa said that the attack on the Iranian ship took place outside of their territory but inside their economic zone.
"While at the same time we have to adhere to the highest standards of ethics and morality, adhering to the prescriptions of international law. This attack took place beyond our territorial waters, that is, beyond the 12 nautical miles of territorial waters, but it was within our exclusive economic zone,' he said.
He added that the occurrence was a threat to international peace, as that region has been free of all conflicts.
"And in fact, this is an occurrence that is a threat to international peace and security, particularly in a zone that has been declared free of conflict and of course, free of nuclear weapons. So bringing all these viewpoints and suggestions, we need to ensure that as a country, as a proud, sovereign country, we have to articulate ourselves to ensure that we follow the twin objectives of, on the one hand, protecting our national interests and also, on the other hand, abiding by the prescriptions of international law," he said.
When asked about reports that are coming out that the United States is pressing the Sri Lankan government not to repatriate the survivors of the Iranian warship that sank, as well as the crew of a second ship that are there, Premadasa said that Sri Lanka has the freedom to act as per their own policies.
"Initially, news reports suggested regarding this issue. However, I think the United States administration, or let me say administrative sources, have apparently told Sri Lanka that Sri Lanka has the freedom to decide as to what policies Sri Lanka should adopt with regard to the vessels and also the sailors. Of course, I believe that from a position of neutrality, which has been Sri Lanka's position, we need to follow international agreements and conventions. You know very well the Hague Convention about neutrality, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the multiplicity of Geneva Conventions, conventions against torture, conventions about refugees," he said.
Premadasa said that as of now, the US has clarified the reports and considered that Sri Lanka has the freedom to decide on the future of the personnel that were saved.
"So, there are multiple legal instruments that we have to adopt when considering this issue. So I want to clarify previous reports of US pressure with regard to what action to take in terms of the personnel who entered Sri Lanka. I think those reports have been kind of corrected, and the United States have apparently, the administration sources have stated that Sri Lanka has the freedom to decide on the future of those personnel who were saved," he said.
The comments came as on March 4, the IRIS Dena, an Iranian Moudge-class frigate, was sunk by a US Navy submarine in international waters approximately 40 nautical miles off the coast of Galle, Sri Lanka. The vessel was carrying an estimated 180 crew members. Sri Lankan naval forces rescued 32 survivors and recovered 87 bodies. Many others remain missing.