SLN arrests 30 fleeing civilians in Delft seas

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 April 2007, 21:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) sea patrol unit arrested Sunday 30 Jaffna peninsula residents in Delft seas trying to flee to Tamil Nadu in South India as refugees. The SLN handed the refugees to Delft police who recorded their statements Monday. Delft police are to hand over the arrested to Kayts police to be produced in Kayts magistrate court, sources in Delft said.

After the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) closure of A9, the only land route to Jaffna, and the resulting scarcity of essential food, medicine and other essentials together with the prevailing climate of terror from being abducted, killed, intimidated and harassed by the SLA and its paramilitary collaborators, many in the peninsula have risked their lives on the perilous seas to seek refuge in Tamil Nadu, civil sources in Jaffna said.

Fishermen in Delft, for a payment of 15,000 rupees per person, take the fleeing civilians up to the Sri Lanka-India sea boundary where fishermen from Tamil Nadu take them over and help them to reach Tamil Nadu shores, sources in Delft said.

Food, medicine and other essential commodities which are hard to find in the peninsula are available in Delft, the sources added.

Delft (Nedunthivu) is the farthest islet off Jaffna towards Tamil Nadu.