Maritime Boundary Dispute between India and Sri Lanka (original) (raw)
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Geopolitics of the Indian Ocean and Indo-Sri Lanka Relationship
NMML OCCASIONAL PAPER, 2017
The Indian Ocean will be where the big game will be played in the future. The existing global leader, the United States of America, rising China, and emerging India will be the key global players in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). To counter balance a rising power and its dominance of Indian Ocean we have seen how regional nations will tie with extra regional nations. It is significant that the Indian Ocean is the only ocean named after a State, hence the question posed by some if the Indian Ocean indeed belongs to India. Evidently, India has an important role to play in the Indian Ocean and needs to be aware of what is going on in its backyard. The Chinese submarine incident in Sri Lanka was a clear indication of this situation especially with regard to India’s reaction. The main concern was whether the visit of Chinese submarines was a surprise or a carefully calibrated decision? In this backdrop, in order to clearly understand the changing geopolitical dynamics of Indian Ocean I will discuss two key areas which are: China’s strategic presence in the Indian Ocean and, India’s strategic aspiration in the Indian Ocean. Finally I will discuss certain important issues in the Indo-Sri Lanka relationship.
Strategic Significance of Sri Lanka in India's Indian Ocean Approach
Indian Studies Review, 2022
The Indian Ocean has long been a significant topic of historic-strategic debate in the annals of world history. The region, which is home to a variety of activities ranging from trade to transportation, and a tangled web of power struggles, is also gaining prominence as a major energy corridor for Asia's energy-hungry nations. For India, a close relationship with Sri Lanka is important for several reasons: first, the latter's proximity to the strategically important Andaman & Nicobar Islands, as well as the SLOCs that fall under India's EEZ; second, safeguarding Indian initiatives in the Western Indian Ocean; and, third, Beijing's antagonistic and hegemonic advancement in the region. On the other side, for Sri Lanka, which is mired in debt, cooperating with old friend India can help alleviate the load while also contributing to the country's development. Sri Lanka has lately realized that in Beijing's Indian Ocean strategic chessboard, it has been more of a 'pawn' than a 'pearl'. For Sri Lanka, India is an ideal partner due to its geographical proximity, historical linkages, and strategic location.
JDPA KDU , 2021
Power struggles are a common occurrence in world politics and their impact depends on the nature of the parties to the struggle. As the 21 st century being dubbed the century of Asia, the growing competition between China and India as two aspiring Asian nations to become global superpowers has shifted the gravity of world politics to the Indian Ocean region. The United States of America, as an existing superpower, seeks to maintain its position to retain its status despite the evolving world order. Accordingly, the direct and indirect actions of these three countries make the Indian Ocean region a contested domain for dominance. Sri Lanka, as a small country in the region, located centrally in the Indian Ocean, is strategically facing challenges due to the rivalry of the US, India, and China. With inherent dependency over these three countries, Sri Lanka's policy towards the Indian Ocean is important for its security and development. Although Sri Lanka has fundamental principles towards the Indian Ocean, current power relations relating to the Indian Ocean has created much uncertainty towards the peaceful existence of the IO. Therefore, Sri Lanka was compelled to re-strategize its policy in the Indian Ocean while broadening the scope of security. This paper provides a detailed study of the nature of current power rivalry in the Indian Ocean with specific policy expectations of major triangle of power of the Indian Ocean. Accordingly, it analyses the factors that influence Sri Lanka to formulate its policy towards the Indian Ocean region. It concludes that instead of acting on a stand-alone policy, Sri Lanka should strongly follow a policy of multilateralism to minimize the tension in the region and achieve its national interest through cooperation without taking a side of any power block which are trying to compete in the Indian Ocean to assure its hegemony.
SRI LANKA: FROM THE ARRIVAL OF HOMO SAPIENS TO THE INDIAN OCEAN MARITIME HUB
This is a case study that shows how the Indian Ocean was a major maritime hub up to the 15th century and was gradually replaced by the Atlantic Ocean after the discovery of the Americas by the Europeans and Christopher Columbus. The Arabs and Chinese played a major role in it up to 1433, but for domestic political reasons, the Chinese dropped all practice of ocean navigation and commerce even before the arrival of the Europeans, which contributed to its decline. Right now we are witnessing a reversal, both the come-back of the Indian Ocean as a crucial global area as well as the come-back of the Chinese as the main actor in this area in the present global context. We are going to show striking similarities between the two historical periods (pre-14th century and 21st century). We will consider the central features of this form of the evolution of the Indian Ocean and consider it in terms of the basic perspective of recent post-civil-conflict in Sri Lanka.
Proceedings of 8th International Research Conference, 2015
Both China and India have shown an increasing interest towards the Indian Ocean and have towards this end, engineered several key strategies and initiatives, i.e. the Maritime Silk Route initiative by the former and the Indian Ocean Strategy by the latter. Both these nations have also identified Sri Lanka, with its strategic location in the Indian Ocean as an ideal focal point to implement their policies and objectives. China’s plans are underway to re-establish the ancient Maritime Silk Route thereby reaping economic benefits by enhancing regional connectivity and securing its energy requirements. Whilst India is increasing her maritime and security ambitions via its strategic initiatives with smaller island nations in the greater Indian Ocean region. The latter is more inclined towards maritime security cooperation with lesser emphasis on economic partnerships which the former is more predisposed towards. In this context, this study will focus on the political situation in the world with special emphasis on the Indian Ocean Region. It will also address the strategic importance Sri Lanka plays in the region and the diplomatic role it has to master in collaborating with these two regional giants. The region has emerged as a catalyst in strategic planning for most of the world’s dominant powers. Accordingly, Sri Lanka has been identified as a means for regional dominance. Further this will also address Sri Lanka’s need to take a more assertive role in promoting and projecting herself in the international arena.
Geo politics of China -Sri Lanka -India relations Sri Lanka's perspective
From the ancient times Indian Ocean Region has attracted the great powers attention due to the economic value rest on the Indian Ocean in context of East and West maritime trade. And in the 21st century India & China have risen from the Asia as a regional power of the world. And there's a situation right now that who controls the Indian Ocean will control the Asia in the future. And Convergence of India -China interest on Sri Lankan context became critical during specially after 2009 as it provided the platform to these two powerful nations to check and balance their interest. But in 2015 a decade long regime was changed within the country with that foreign policy and the Relations with the other countries also changed. The main objective of the study to theoretically analyze the of Indo -China interest and impact on Sri Lanka after 2015. To achieve aforesaid objectives qualitative approach has been adopted and secondary data is the main type of data obtained from various such as books, journal articles, newspapers, government records and other relevant documents available in both printed and electronic versions. The research finding conclude Chinese influence over the South Asian region specially and India's trying to match China in the region with achievements and economic and military power. But In recent times, both the Chinese and Indian leaders have made explicit overtures to each other with repeated references to historical religious, cultural and trading links, both recognizing the opportunities presented by cooperation than by confrontation. The ground-breaking visit of Prime Minister Modhi to meet president Xi Jinping in Wuhan is likely to have major implications and help restore the confidence levels of both countries in each other. Prime Minister Modhi's "Look East. Act east" approach contains a distinct Buddhist echo of bygone connections. China's Buddhist links with India go back a long time. Recent efforts to recalibrate the bilateral relationship between India and China will be welcomed by all. But Sri Lanka has become convergence point for both India and China due to its strategic importance in the Indian Ocean. Both attempted to attract Sri Lanka with reconstruction projects but with the change of internal politics in 2015 influence and impact for the country have been changed.
Sri Lanka as a balancing force in strengthening maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean
The greater Indian Ocean, given its increasing importance for the global maritime trade, needs a solid diplomatic basis for multilateral cooperation. Such cooperation is especially important for the states in its periphery as well as rising powers like China and its immediate neighbours. However, a multiparty dialogue to improve relations and address the need for increasing maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean is still largely lacking.
IDENTIFY THE GEOPOLITICAL DYNAMICS OF INDIA -SRI LANKA RELATIONS
Hasitha Hemal , 2019
The connection between India and Sri Lanka is over 2,500 years old. Both nations have an inheritance of scholarly, social, religious and phonetic interaction. In ongoing years, the relationship has been set apart by close contacts at all levels. Exchange and venture have developed and there is collaboration in the fields of framework advancement, training, culture and barrier. Apart from that, critical advancement in usage of formative help ventures has additionally solidified the obligations of fellowship between the two countries. The about three-decade since a long time ago outfitted clash between the Sri Lankan powers and the LTTE arrived at an end in May 2009. Throughout the contention, India upheld the privilege of the Sri Lankan Government to act against fear monger powers. Same time, India's predictable position has been supportive of an arranged political settlement, which is satisfactory to all networks inside the system of a unified Sri Lanka and is steady with vote based system, pluralism and regard for human rights.
India and Sri Lanka: A fatal convergence
Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 1992
India's decision to intervene militarily in the Sri Lankan civil war was preceded by two significant historical developments: (1) the emergence of a strong Sinhala ethnic identity in Sri Lanka, often accompanied by the explicit marginalization and suppression of the Tamil minority in that country; and (2) an emerging foreign policy of regional hegemony in New Delhi. Together, these two developments have moved inexorably towards a fatal convergence across the Palk Straits. Tragically, there appear to be no easy solutions to such conflicts in the Indian subcontinent: they seem to be the inevitable by‐products of the very effort to imagine and construct nation‐states.