Sri Lanka profiting on piracy

Wednesday, August 22, 2012 - 1:13:00 AM - More articles in Piracy

Discuss 1 posts

In a rather despicable turn of events it seems that the government of Sri Lanka is forcing private maritime security companies to “hire” weapons from its own agents, rather than allowing them to use their own legally purchased ones.
Port authorities are seemingly refusing to recognise UK licences, forcing firms to hire weapons from a local offshore armoury or face a ban on operating.
Aside from the moral angle, the move is forcing PMSCs to breach the IMO rules, as using third-party weapons breaks all the regulations and licences in force.
Governments want vessels to be protected, but moves such as this simply serve to rip up the hard work being done in the UK to develop a security solution to keep seafarers safe from pirates.
It is understood that the UK Foreign and Commonwealth office is now pressing hard for a solution and that SAMI is working too, to secure a deal which will hopefully force the Sri Lankan government into a climb down.
Shiptalk.

Comment: Most probably, UK Foreign Office jointly with SAMI will try to solve the problem in a way which will best suit SAMI interests, or to be more exact, interests of UK security agencies. They’ll try to persuade Sri Lanka to permit the arms owned by agencies only to those agencies which are SAMI members, the rest to be left at the mercy of Sri Lanka authorities.

Reviews :

Sri Lankan Piracy model - ( by IAMSP)

This is typical of the SL company RAL and the arrogance with which they wk, take it leave it attitude ! Doesn't the UK government realise there can be no discussions with this Semi government company owned by a relative of the Minister of Defence. Sri Lanka is not on the B list f arms embargo f nothing. We moved to Male a long time ago because the renting of arms, from whichever country be it Sri Lanka, Djibouti where ever, is ILLEGAL. Those are the facts. Companies have the right to wk from where they want as long as they and the arms they are using are legal. As to the UK Government, their mistakes are many in this fiasco. Starting with the OGTL maritime anti-piracy license which ios not recognised in many countries owing to the fact that there is nowhere on it f the serial numbers of the weapons being used. By not taking into account international sea law UNCLOS they have (in)advertantly banned British companies from wking on Chinese Liberian vessels. The days of "Rule Brittania, Brittania rules the waves" are long gone and they should get used to the idea that they are not the only country in the wld that has PMSC's escting vessels through HRA's. I will not mention SAMI as I may say something which i may later regret. Suffice to say I am one of the utive member of the IAMSP (International Association of Maritime Security Professionals) we deal with Maritime security and not JUST Anti Piracy. We actually Vet member companies using transparent methods based on ISO 9001-2008 - IMO Circ 1405 / 1406 and the standards laid down by the ICoC. Anybody interested in contacting me f me details may do so dstone@iamsponline.g