NEWS ALERT: How Far Will The Dragon Swim?

SRI LANKAN NAVY ARRESTS 37 CHINESE FISHERMEN IN SIR LANKAN WATERS

                                                                        
Photo by Peter Griffin

 The Sri Lankan Navy arrested 37 Chinese Fishermen aboard two vessels for illegally fishing in  Sri Lankan Waters. It is not clear to our investigation as yet whether these vessels were in Sri Lankan territorial waters or in the Sri Lankan Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Additional details when available will be posted to the news service section.

OPINION: The reaction by China has been uncharacteristically restrained. We suspect the fishermen may have actually been in undisputed territorial waters. The Chinese Government, if embarrassed, has simply reaped what it has sown. The Chinese government has sent fishermen all over the South China sea escorted by armed vessels right into the EEZs  and sometimes beyond of its neighbors. Chinese naval vessels have shot unarmed naval personnel of at least one other nation as we have previously presented on film. One Chinese government official has publicly advocated arming China's fishermen. Now its China asking Sri Lanka to "abide by international law, and release the  fishermen as quickly as possible". 

 Our suggestion to China is to stop bullying your neighbors, cease asserting an unsupportable territorial claim, and negotiate in good faith all EEZ boundaries with your neighbors before any more mariners are killed or imprisoned. China's thug like behavior has created disorder in the region. Ocean economic activity depends on reliable order. Navies exist to insure such order and are renegade when they systematically disturb it. Renegade navies end up at the bottom of sea eventually.