The Hon. Mujibur Rahuman

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, previously, as before, there was a naval exercise in India with 74 countries participating. Our Sri Lankan ship “Nandimithra” took part. Forty-two ships and 29 aircraft took part in that exercise. After the exercise ended, the said ship came back intending to proceed to Iran, with India having been informed. We know there are US warships in the Gulf region. Therefore, the Iranian ship could not proceed to Iran. Because they could not go to Iran, they diverted and remained about 40 nautical miles off Galle Port, drifting for around 11 hours. They sought permission from our Government to enter Galle Port. The attack did not occur while the ship was underway; it was stationary at sea. Because they could not go to Iran, they were loitering there and requested entry to Galle. Our Government did not respond for 11 hours. After those 11 hours, the information somehow reached the US military. Only after receiving that information did they act. Their submarine was not nearby; it was in the Gulf. From there it came here to carry out the attack.

¶ 02 Hon. Minister, why was that ship allowed to drift there for 11 hours? Under international law, and in view of agreements we signed with India — with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi — recognizing the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace, there are a number of such agreements. As the Hon. Leader of the Opposition and Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara also stated, why was that ship not allowed to come into Galle Port even though we are signatories to such international declarations?

¶ 03 Thank you.