Fishermen's protest shuts down Jaffna secretariat

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 January 2002, 12:03 GMT]
More than a seven hundred fishermen began a protest sit in front of the Jaffna district secretariat Wednesday morning from 7.30 a.m. The fishermen blocked government officials from entering the Jaffna district secretariat. They vowed to continue the protest if the government doesnít take steps to lift the ban and restrictions imposed by the Sri Lankan security forces on fishing in Jaffna.

The protest was organised by the Federation of Fisheries Societies of Jaffna, the Fisheries Co-operative Societies of Vadamaradchi and Vadamaradchi East and several fisheries co-operatives from the islands of Kayts and Karainagar.

The TNA MP for Jaffna Mr. M.K Sivajilingam who was grievously wounded in an attack by a gang of armed cadres of the Eelam Peopleís Democratic Party (EPDP) was brought in an ambulance to the venue of the protest. The Jaffna mayor Mr. Sellan Kandaiyyan of the TNA was also present at the protest.

The protesting fishermen in front of the Jaffna district secretariat (kachcheri).(Photo:TamilNet)