SLN suspends unloading goods at Pt. Pedro harbour

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 November 2006, 00:34 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) cancelled the temporary permission given to Vadmaradchy fishermen to fish in waters up to Munai in Point Pedro Friday, and scoured large stretches of Point Pedro seas for bodies of sailors killed in the Thursday clashes with Sea Tigers, fishermen society sources in Point Pedro said. Unloading essential goods at Pt. Pedro harbour was suspended the whole day Friday.

Lorries stood waiting to take the goods from the Pt. Pedro harbour and had to return empty, Pt. Pedro Port authorities said.

Passengers including government employees, ordered by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Jaffna high command to return to their stations in Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) held areas, and waiting over night for their sea voyage to Trincomalee had to return home, the sources added.

Meanwhile, 350 passengers taken from Jaffna Sinhala Maha Vidyalaya in military vehicles and lodged Thursday night at Kankesanthurai (KKS) Nadeswara College to be taken by ship Friday to Trincomalee from KKS, had to return to their homes as their passage was cancelled indefinitely, the government employees said.

SLN ordered fishermen, fishing on the Northern waters where the clash took place, back to the shores and civilians were not allowed to be on the shores, the coastal residents said.

The Point Pedro port authorities also said that the SLN has notified that all shipping to and fro from Northern harbours have been stopped.