SLN attacks fishermen in Vadamaradchy seas

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 February 2006, 13:18 GMT]
Three fishermen from Sakkottai, Vadamaradchy were attacked and their fishing accessories including nets were damaged by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldiers from a patrolling Dvora speed boat Point Pedro seas Friday 9.30 a.m., Sooriyakumaran, president of Vadamaradchy North fisheries consortium, told TamilNet. He added that even while the talks between Libertion Tigers and the Government of Sri Lanka are in progress, there are no indications that harassment of fishemen by SLN in the northern seas will decrease.

SLN soldiers attacked two brothers Thevaras Santhan, 18, and Thevarasa Simpo, 20, and Winston Kennedy, 36, in mid-sea, cut open their fishing nets and chased them back to the shore, the fishermen had complained to their fisheries union.

Sooriyakumaran said the incident happened in an area of sea where there are no fishing restrictions. He pointed out that the fisher families in areas near the KKS harbor, from Valvettiturai to the east and Mathakal to the west of KKS, where fishing ban is still enforced, are struggling to survive. Many of these families are relocating to LTTE areas, or to already congested areas in Vadamaradchy, he said.

Complaints to the Human Rights Commission (HRC), Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), the Red Cross (ICRC) and to the Jaffna Government Agent (GA) have not produced any tangible results, Sooriyakumaran said.

The Sri Lanka Navy leaves alone the large number of Indian fishing trawlers poaching Vadamaradchy seas, Sooriyakumaran said. He said further that the Fisheries Consortium members believe that the SLN actively encourages Indian trawlers to fish in Vadamaradchy seas.

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