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Myanmar envoy seeks relief for stranded countrymen on board the Saag Sirius vessel
Myanmar Government is to seek the assistance of local authorities to provide urgent relief to a group of their countrymen stranded on a fishing vessel anchored off Colombo Port for the past four months, diplomatic and maritime officials said yesterday.
“I have been in contact with the External Affairs Ministry Secretary Karunatilleke Amunugama and a meeting to discuss the issue will be held at the earliest,” Myanmar’s envoy to Colombo Ulin Oolwin told the Sunday Times yesterday.He added that food and other essential items will be sought from the government for the 16 crew members- that include 10 from Myanmar and five from Sri Lanka on board the vessel-‘Saag Sirius’.
“The Myanmar envoy did get in touch with me some time last week but since then there has been no further communication which left me to assume that the matter had been solved,” Mr. Amunugama said.
The vessel has remained off harbour since May this year following a stand-off between the ship’s owner, the local handling agent and a bunkering company in Singapore.
Zafir Hashim with Mackinon Mackenzie-the local handling agent told the Sunday times that his company had ceased to represent the vessel since the owner was in the red in payments. “As far as we know the matter is before the courts and therefore I cannot comment without legal advice,” he said.
“The crew is desperate. They have not received any wages for the past four months and are currently surviving on salted dry fish and rice while their drinking water reserves is near dry. There are unconfirmed reports that at least two crew members had even attempted suicide,” Ranjan Perera with the International Transport workers Federation (ITF) said.
Meanwhile representatives from the Myanmar Embassy in Colombo, relatives of the five Sri Lankan seafarers and NUSS officials held discussions with Merchant Shipping Director General Ajith Seneviratne earlier this week to break the stalemate.
Following an appeal made by the relatives of the five Lankan seafarers a boat load of food and other items was sent to the boat shortly before dusk on Wednesday, Mr. Perera said. However, he added that the stocks would not last long and therefore a quick solution was needed.
Mr. Seneviratne said that there was a court order directing the local handler-Mackinon Mackenzie to maintain supplies to the crew until the matter was settled.
“The agent must obey the court directive or face the consequences,” Mr. Seneviratne added. He added that according to latest reports the Saarg Sirius had been taken over by a Malaysian Bank and that representatives from that institute were due in Colombo next week to settle the ongoing stand-off.
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