SRI LANKA NAVY DENIES ALLEGATIONS OF ATTACKS ON INDIAN FISHERMEN
Posted on March 12th, 2012
Press Release Sri Lanka High Commission New Delhi
Sri Lanka Navy has made a thorough investigation into the allegation of harassment/assault of Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters on 9th March 2012 and found out no such incident has taken place. The alleged incident was telecast/published in several Indian television channels and newspapers and the Navy found out that it was based on inaccurate, hearsay reports without any evidence or credible proof.
There is a deep concern that such malicious allegations against the Sri Lanka Navy are disguised attempts to harm the friendship, cooperation and the excellent understanding between India and Sri Lanka.
There is excellent cooperation between the navies of Sri Lanka and India and Sri Lanka Navy has come to the rescue of Indian fishermen in distress on humanitarian grounds on many occasions and provided them with assistance using its vessels and personnel. Sri Lanka Navy will continue its humanitarian operations in future as well and make available its expertise in rescuing distressed vessels and providing protection and assistance to seafarers whenever they are in difficulty in Sri Lankan waters.
Sri Lanka High Commission
New Delhi
March 12th, 2012 at 3:45 pm
I am re-printing this note I put in response to another article on this website as it seems even more relevant here. I would like to add that it may be quite difficult to draw the limits/borders within which Tamil Nadu fishermen may fish as it is on sea water, and therefore there would be endless troubles in the future too. It would be wise to withdraw the fishing facility altogether since the ltte operations might resume through the Kachativu island via the fishermen.
I took the following write up from the Wikipedia re the Kachativu island. Is this account below accurate ? If so, GoSL must clarify the matter with the Indian government and rectify all anomalies. Ownership of the island must be made completely legal for Lanka and fishing rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen in the surrounds withdrawn. Otherwise, GoSL will have endless trouble with TN state govt. now and in the future, and unnecessary clashes with the Catholic clergy too.
Can someone please let us know if the article in the Wikipedia is correct or not, particularly re fishing rights of TN fishermen in the Kachativu surrounds sea waters.
Kachchatheevu
Coordinates: 9°23′0″N 79°31′0″ECoordinates: 9°23′0″N 79°31′0″E
Country Sri Lanka-(1974-present)
India-(beginnings-1974)
Province Northern
District Jaffna
DS Division Delft
Kachcha-thiva or Katchatheevu or Kachativu (Tamil: கச்சத்தீவு, Sinhala: කච්චතීවු) is a controversial uninhabited island belonging to Sri Lanka. This island is given to Sri Lanka by India in 1974 on a conditional basis. It has a Catholic shrine and has been declared as a sacred area by the government of Sri Lanka.
285-acre (1.15 km2) island is situated on the Sri Lankan side of the maritime boundary.
]History
A part of India until 1974, it has belonged to Sri Lanka since India ceded the island in 1974. This transfer of an island that is culturally important to fishermen of Tamil Nadu state in India has led to some agitations by Tamil Nadu politicians that it should be returned to Indian sovereignty. The island is also important for fishing grounds used by fishers from both the countries. Under the treaty agreement of 1974, Indian fishermen have rights to rich fishing grounds in the territorial waters of Sri Lanka around Kachchativu. But as part of the Sri Lankan civil war, this arrangement has led to many difficulties with the Sri Lankan Navy that is deployed to prevent smuggling of weapons by the rebel group LTTE. The island has a Catholic shrine that attracts devotees from both the countries. On 2009, Tamil Nadu Government declared that the area controlled by Sri Lanka against the original pact of allowing Indian fishermen to access the water of Sri Lanka. This tensions and the killings of Tamil fishermen created a diaspora (means problem ?) in and across India and the governments of both the countries held conversation and finally the Sri Lankan government allowed a full access term to Indian fishermen till Jaffna Line and released the fishermen jailed for a while. The problem continue to grow as more fisherman move in to the Sri Lankan sea area. In 2010 the Sri Lankan government issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu government saying the Indian court cannot nullify the 1974 agreement.
In June 2011, the new Tamil Nadu government led by Jayalalithaa filed a petition in Supreme Court seeking the declaration of the 1974 and 1976 agreements between India and Sri Lanka on ceding of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka as unconstitutional.[3] The court ruled in Berubari case that cession of Indian territory to another country had to be ratified by parliament through amendment of the constitution. Katchatheevu was ceded to Sri Lanka in violation to the court under the 1974 and 1976 agreements without the approval of two Houses of Parliament “.
March 12th, 2012 at 5:48 pm
Fran, Your information is not correct… This island was part of Sri Lanka when British were governing and at later stage of British occupation unfortunately it was govern from India so facts need to be right re. historical context.
There are excellent documentation on this in SL ministries and about time they are published starting from 1900 onwards and why India agree to this since they never owned it.
March 12th, 2012 at 6:25 pm
Tamilnadu fishermen have problems in Andrapradesh Sea area too. I think Tamilnadu fishermen are knowingly intruding into Sri Lankan seas as the sea is shallow.
This constant complain against Sri Lankan Navy should be to sabotage the guarding activity of the navy assuming that SLN would back off letting TN fishermen their-way.
March 13th, 2012 at 4:08 am
Sirih,
I too felt that the Wikipedia information is incorrect. This means that the world readers of Wikipedia are fed with incorrect information by interested parties to down Sri Lanka ! Even US & west Administrators read Wikipedia.
It is up to those who do know all the facts and figures on the Kach matter to go into Wikipedia and correct the false article.
That is my intent. I want to the correct version, the truth, to be printed in Wikipedia, on Sri Lanka matters. We ought to have a team of people who will go into Wikipedia on a regular basis and check and correct all information on Sri Lanka. As you know, Wikipedia is an ongoing project on every possible aspect that affect us all, a sort of Encyclopedia of the World on the internet.
As things are Kachativu is being mischievously used for :
* illegal fishing
* causing trouble between the Catholic church & Sri Lanka
* causing trouble between Tamil Nadu & Lanka
* causing trouble between India & Lanka
* giving Lanka a bad name internationally
* Giving SL Navy a bad name
This has to stop – fast !
March 14th, 2012 at 6:41 am
Also, why is it that when TAMIL NADU Fishermen cause trouble for Sri Lanka in Lanka sea waters by illegal fishing etc., they are referred to in the press as ‘INDIAN’ fishermen, and not Tamil Nadu fishermen ?
Another matter, almost all the illegal migrants to Sri Lanka come from Tamil Nadu, and not from the rest of India.