In this Enrica Lexie incident the issue is which country has jurisdiction to try the marines who have been allegedly shot and killed two Indian fishermen. The question is tricky since the marines were on board an Italian ship from which they fired the shots and the dead fishermen were on a fishing boat registered in India and the dead fishermen were Indian citizen. To make it a little more complicated the two marines were deputed by the Italian government to protect the Merchant Vessel Enrica Lexie from pirate attacks.
The crime has started in one country and ended in another country. Then which country has the right to try the case. Here the question of why armed guards are employed in merchant ships, why the piracy started in Somalian waters and such other issues do not arise. Previously there were pirates in Indonesian coasts and if that had continued then also armed guards could have been employed. This is not a single case of piracy due to failure of the state of Somalia. If genuine fishermen are not able to fish as it is their living they should be allowed and all protection given. But at the same time international marine traffic should not be put to difficulties also.
In the article the two authors have mentioned the armed guards as trigger happy. What have they to tell about the hundreds of tribal people being killed by our trigger happy forces alleging of being Maoists? Is that also not equally reprehensible?
In this case, there is no doubt that, IF (I repeat IF) it was the Italian marines who shot the fishermen , they have done something terrible wrong and they have to explain their action. The question is only to whom they should explain--to the Indian authorities whose citizens have been killed or to the authorities who have send them to protect the ship?
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