Fifth incident of fishermen attack in a month by Lankan navy reported

Coastal hamlets of Pudukkottai district is in tension with yet another attack of fishermen by the Lankan Navy. This is the fifth incident of atrocities unleashed by Sri Lankan Navy men against hapless fishermen in mid sea since November 2.

Murugan (30), Palanivel (25), Nagooran (33), Seeniyappan (30), Parthiban (20), and Sivakumar (36) from Kottaipattinam had gone into the sea in two mechanised boats on Tuesday morning and had cast their nets when the Sri Lankan Navy patrol came there around midnight.

The Navy personnel not only chased away six fishermen at gun point but also damaged their nets when the fishermen were reportedly fishing well within the international maritime boundary line (IMBL) off Kottaipattinam in the early hours of Wednesday.

The Sri Lankan Navy confiscated their catch too. Reaching shore on Wednesday morning the fishermen informed about the incident to the officials of fisheries department and also lodged a complaint with police.

Mechanised boat fishermen welfare association president Chinna Adaikalam said that atrocities by Sri Lankan Navy men continue unabated despite the fishermen’s repeated plea to the Central and state governments.

Five Lankan fishermen apprehended

Indian Coast Guard personnel apprehended five Sri Lankan nationals, along with a mechanised boat, about 3.5 nautical miles from Arichamunai off Dhanushkodi on Tuesday, when they were fishing within maritime boundary line of India.

Their names are Jude Merryl Pauls, Sumith, Sambath, Salindhu and Sambathkumar. The Singala fisherman Sumith said that they left Trincomalee for fishing, and their boat developed snag, they strayed into the Indian waters.

They reportedly hail from Thoruvai village near Puttalam. They claimed they were fishermen and had ventured into the sea on Sunday. They were handed over to the Coastal Security Group’s marine police station at Mandapam. Intelligence agencies were verifying their claim, said Commandant D.S. Saini, Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Station.

- Asian Tribune -