Dr Sudath Gunasekara (SLAS), Retired Perm Secretary Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranayake

It appears that international laws are applicable only to smaller nations and they never cover the crimes committed by the powerful bigger nations. It is simply Kautillya’s Mathsya niyaaya at work that is the smaller fish is always the prey of the Big fish. The naked behavior of ‘BIG” nations proves the same natural law perhaps.

United Nations General Assembly proposal was initiated by Sri Lanka and Tanzania to designate the Indian Ocean as a nuclear-free zone, free from military escalation, foreign bases, and weapons of mass destruction. It aims to preserve regional security and ensure freedom of countries around the Indian Ocean.

In 1964 Cairo Summit NAM meeting Sri Lankan Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike proposed to the United Nations that the Indian Ocean be declared a Zone of Peace. It was seconded by Julius Nyere President of Tanzania and passed

It was declared by the UN General Assembly on December 16, 1971 (Resolution 2832), aimed at limiting superpower military rivalry, specifically nuclear weapons and military bases, to protect the region’s independence and security. Initiated by Sri Lanka, it seeks to maintain a, peaceful, secure Indian Ocean.

The resolution was passed with 61 votes in favor, zero against, and 55 abstentions, largely because major powers abstained. Even at that meeting Absentees were led by the US.

 The resolution designates the Indian Ocean (including airspace and sea floor) as a zone of peace, calling for the elimination of military bases and weapons of mass destruction belonging to great powers.

 The initiative is designed to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, focusing on international peace and security.

 While consistently reaffirmed by the General Assembly, the implementation has been challenging, with an Ad Hoc Committee established to work on its implementation.

Recent efforts, notably by Sri Lanka, are re-emphasizing the initiative to ensure security, freedom of navigation, and prevent the region from becoming a theater of conflict.

The declaration calls upon all littoral and hinterland states, as well as permanent Security Council members, to negotiate to reduce military presence in the area.

The Indian Ocean has been called a “zone of peace” by littoral states who are concerned about the increased naval activity of the superpowers. But all major powers 1971 resolution US, Uk and France have their base. As of early 2026, the United States, United Kingdom, and France maintain a robust military presence in the Indian Ocean, driven by strategic competition with China, energy security, and regional stability in the Middle East and Africa

 Their interests focus on maintaining freedom of navigation, securing maritime trade routes (especially the Strait of Hormuz and Malacca), and protecting their respective sovereign territories and alliances, often operating under NATO or independent. But in practice they always bypass these interests leaning towards neo colonial agenda reminiscent of the old practice of invasion Conquering, exploiting and keeping under financial and cultural invasion.

All these super power interests in the Indian Ocean go counter to the   1971 Resolution. Although colonial expansion by Europe as it did in the1500 -1900 has come to an end their active military and trade activities together with regime change are still at full swing in this region. A potential threat to the freedom and security of the countries around the Indian m ocean that were under their colonial administration.

This situation has to be arrested as early as possible to protect the security of the smaller and poorer nations and their sea faring interest as equals, as free and sovereign nations irrespective of their size, power or riches, but their human qualities and intellectual achievements and contributions making this world a happy and peaceful place to live without fear, pain and sorrow.