Maritime Security

Factum Special Perspective: Partner to All Is Partner to None

Maritime Security, Regional GeopoliticsMarch 12, 20261KViews 4Likes 0Comments

AN ANALYTICAL DISCLOSER OF STATUS AFTER THE ACTION AT SEA By Rear Admiral YN Jayarathna (Retd) This is an After-Action Analysis1 of the sinking of IRIS (Islamic Republic of Iran Ship) Dena F75, a Frigate Class warship that was torpedoed on 4th March 2026 in Sri Lanka’s maritime jurisdiction. The incident happened outside the territorial waters, yet within…

Factum Perspectives: Iranian Theatre of War Creeping Beyond the Gulf

Maritime Security, Regional GeopoliticsMarch 8, 2026647Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Dinouk Colombage As the conflict with Iran enters its second week, the threat of an expansion of the theatre of war from the Middle East into surrounding regions has become a very grave possibility. This last week saw U.S. military operations extend beyond the Gulf and into the Indian Ocean, violating the 1971 U.N. Declaration…

Factum Perspectives: Ratification to Readiness: What the BBNJ Treaty Means for Sri Lanka’s Ocean Governance

Maritime Security, Regional GeopoliticsJanuary 25, 2026691Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Aakil Riyaz The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement entered into force on 17 January 2026, marking a significant shift in how the international community governs Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ). For a littoral state such as Sri Lanka, whose economy, environment, and maritime security are intertwined with the Indian Ocean, the agreement goes…

Factum Perspective: After the Ruling – X-Press Pearl in Perspective

Climate and environment, Maritime SecurityJuly 27, 20251KViews 1Like 0Comments

By Lavanga Derangala The X-Press Pearl maritime disaster off the coast of Colombo in 2021 continues to provoke serious legal, environmental, and political questions, especially surrounding the controversial decision to pursue civil litigation in Singapore rather than in Sri Lanka. While the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka delivered a historic ruling in a Fundamental Rights…

Factum Perspective: Navigating China’s Role – Fostering the Blue Dragon Strategy in the Indo Pacific Region

Belt Road Initiative and Indo-Pacific Policy, Maritime Security, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsJune 8, 20251KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By Kividi Koralage The Indo-Pacific region is an expansive and strategically significant area that stretches from the eastern coast of Africa, across the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean, and extends to the western and central Pacific Ocean. This region encompasses a diverse array of countries, including those in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia…

Factum Perspective: Katchatheevu and the Indian Media – Some Candid Reflections

Maritime Security, Peace and Conflict, Regional Geopolitics, UncategorizedApril 6, 2025903Views 2Likes 0Comments

By Rear Admiral Y. N. Jayarathna (Retd.) The St Anthony’s Church festival in Katchatheevu recently wrapped up for the year. As has been the case for the past many years, both Sri Lankan and Indian Central governments worked hard to ensure that the festival took place with due respect for religious formalities, involving devotees from…

Factum Perspective: Decolonisation Delayed – The Ongoing Struggle for the Chagos Islands

Belt Road Initiative and Indo-Pacific Policy, History and Culture, Maritime Security, Regional GeopoliticsMarch 30, 20251KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By Hannes Romare Exclusive to Factum from EPIS Thinktank on Foreign and Security Policy The Chagos Islands, or The British Indian Ocean Territory? Is the Chagos archipelago a part of Mauritius or does it belong to the United Kingdom? These questions will soon get a definite answer as a deal on the status of the…

Factum Perspective: Forging Digital and Maritime Futures

Climate and environment, Health and Economic Cooperation, International Development, Maritime Security, Science and TechnologyJune 9, 2024900Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Flavia Gunarathna In a series of diplomatic and technological engagements, Sri Lanka seems to be taking strides towards enhancing its digital and maritime infrastructure. During his official visit to Indonesia, President Ranil Wickremesinghe held discussions with Indonesian officials and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. These meetings, occurring amidst the backdrop of the…

Factum Perspective: Kachchativu and the Real Issue

Maritime Security, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsApril 10, 20241KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By P. K. Balachandran There is hullabaloo in India over the tiny and uninhabited Kachchativu island in the Palk Strait. It was triggered earlier this month by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is also the supremo of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). To everyone’s surprise, Modi accused the opposition Congress party of giving…

Factum Perspective: The Philippines Takes a Stand in the South China Sea

Maritime Security, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsMarch 17, 20241KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By Minoli Gunarathna The South China Sea has long been a simmering pot of territorial disputes, with multiple countries laying claim to various islands, reefs, and maritime features. Recently, tensions have flared between the Philippines and China, with the Philippine Senate passing the Maritime Zones Bill. This aims to solidify the Philippines' claims in the…

Factum Special Perspective: Houthis, the Red Sea, and Sri Lankan Politics

Maritime Security, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsJanuary 9, 20243KViews 2Likes 0Comments

By Rear Admiral Y. N. Jayarathna (Retd) Naval assets are tools through which a country’s geopolitical standing is constantly being tested – especially in contested waters. After Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, the US promptly dispatched two carrier battle groups to the Gulf and the Mediterranean. The purpose was to…

Factum Perspective: Marine science research in Sri Lanka – Pitfalls and Potentials

Maritime Security, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsSeptember 3, 20232KViews 0Likes 2Comments

By Rear Admiral Y. N. Jayarathna (Retd) Given recent media reports, mostly Indian, marine science research appears to have become a hot topic yet again. Whilst debates linger over this, I wish to share some of my thoughts for readers to understand these issues from a Sri Lankan point of view. I consider this important,…