No one has special rights over Indian Ocean

The term Indian Ocean is both obsolete and redundant to be used to call that vast ocean that was earlier called the Erythrean Sea and the Bay of Bengal with Ceylon at its hub serving the sea routes. After the enactment of the UN Law of the Sea, India cannot claim the vast ocean and cannot seek to intimidate others in the region by openly stating that its intention is also to continue to command its waves and call it the Indian Ocean. That is an Indian rope trick- to perform a deception even to rational beings the world over.

This deception has to be exposed especially today as this ocean is owned by over 40 independent countries who have their own Exclusive Economic Zones ( EEZ) in it. India has no right to claim any special right over it. It is only a Consortium of Nations who have ownership to it who can be permanent members and take decisions to protect it. Only countries of Asia who have had traditional rights to use this vast ocean for trade from ancient times could be associated members. Care must be taken to exclude countries outside Asia as they could have their own agendas and eventually sabotage Asian interests by using devices like R2P to intimidate the countries of this region.

Today India is poaching in our waters and stealing billions of rupees in illegal fishing and selling the catch to their willing partners in the European market.

A Denis N. Fernando