3RD LEAD

Occupying SL military brings in Sinhala fishermen to Maaththa’lan sea

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 May 2013, 18:44 GMT]
The occupying Sri Lankan military has again brought in more than 200 Sinhala fishermen from the south within the last two weeks to Maaththa’lan in Mullaiththeevu, while the Eezham Tamils, uprooted from their native place Maaththa’lan after the genocidal onslaught, are still denied access to their lands and the sea. One month ago, the encroaching Sinhala fishermen were sent back after protesting Tamil fishermen attempted to set fire to their boats. The Sinhala fishermen had then returned to the South vowing that they would return. Now, the Sinhala fishermen camped in Maaththa’lan are deploying more than 50 boats depriving the livelihood of Tamil fishermen in the coastal sea of Mullaiththeevu, Tamil fishermen complain.

The SL military is escorting the Sinhala fishermen in Mullaiththeevu seas, providing security to the encroaching fishermen.

The uprooted Tamil fishermen of Maathalan coast due to the conflict have been temporarily residing elsewhere without fishing gear and necessary facilities to resume their fishing.

In the meantime, Vanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian Vino Noharathalingam told media that the Tamil fishermen in Mullaiththeevu are also being threatened by the occupying SL military not to oppose Sinhalese fishermen fishing in the seas off Mullaiththeevu.

The TNA MP said he had also written a letter to the SL Fisheries Minister on the problems faced by the Tamil fishermen urging the SL government to allow the uprooted Tamil fishermen to resettle in their own lands and to allow them to resume fishing in their sea.

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