The debt-ridden Sri Lankan Navy is preparing to join a U.S.-led operation to protect commercial ships sailing in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthi rebels, a Sri Lankan naval spokesperson announced on Tuesday.
The attack by Houthi rebels follows the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and subsequent Israeli war against Gaza militants, which pass through the crucial Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects markets in Asia and Europe. It was aimed at commercial ships.
The United States and its allies have launched Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect shipping traffic, with American, French and British warships patrolling the area.
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Navy spokesman Captain Gayan Wickramasuriya said the date for the Sri Lankan ships' deployment has not been set and the areas to be patrolled have not been finalized.
The decision to send the ship drew criticism from opposition members of the island nation. Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa has pledged 250 million rupees ($250 million) to send ships to fight Houthi rebels in the Red Sea at a time when Sri Lankans are facing severe economic hardship at home. He blamed the government for spending $777,000.
This image provided by the U.S. Navy shows dock landing ship USS Carter Hall and amphibious assault ship USS Bataan passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait on August 9, 2023. (Mass Communications Special Officer 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/U.S. Navy, via AP)
Deputy Defense Minister Pramita Thennakul defended the move, saying the government wanted to fulfill its “global responsibilities” and that “Sri Lanka opposes terrorism in any form.”
He added that Sri Lanka would not incur any additional costs by participating in the operation as Sri Lankan ships already patrol the vast waters of the Indian Ocean.
Sri Lanka is struggling to overcome the worst economic crisis in its history. The country declared bankruptcy in April 2022 with more than $83 billion in debt, more than half of which was owed to foreign creditors. Severe shortages of food, fuel, and other necessities plunged the economy into crisis.
Violent public protests led to the ouster of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The IMF agreed to a $2.9 billion rescue package in March last year.
Sri Lanka wants to restructure $17 billion of tens of billions in outstanding debt.
Over the past year, severe shortages of essential goods such as food, fuel and medicine have largely eased, and authorities have restored power supplies. But public dissatisfaction is growing over the government's efforts to raise revenue by raising electricity prices and imposing heavy new income taxes on professionals and businesses.
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Last week, the government increased the value-added tax rate and extended it to a number of essential goods, including cooking gas, fuel and medicine.
