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Navy denies firing on fishermen in Palk Strait
The Navy yesterday denied reports that it had repeatedly fired on Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait while the Government reiterated its earlier position on foreign intruders in the country’s territorial waters saying that such persons will be arrested and dealt with according to the law.“ We have in the past, and still continue to discourage Indian poachers in the Palk Strait using minimum force but have stopped short of firing on them”, a senior naval official told the Sunday Times.
He said that despite talks between the authorities of both countries and fisher groups the Indian poachers continue to cross the International Boundary Line (IBL) in regular numbers on a near daily basis and it is an uphill task for the Navy to contain this traffic.
He added however that the Navy is on constant alert and will continue to arrest such intruders Indian or otherwise and they would be handed over to the relevant authorities for follow-up action.
He further added that Indian fishermen were always treated in a humane manner and despite several warnings Indian fishermen continued to illegally cross the IMBL.
The Navy response came after Indian External Affairs State Minister V. K. Singh said this week there have been six alleged attacks on Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters and that Delhi had taken up the issue with Colombo.
Mr. Singh was also quoted as saying that the Indian Government requested the Sri Lankan Navy to act with restraint and not to fire on Indian fishermen if they stray into the waters of the island nation and that the matter had been taken up with the Sri Lankan Government.
He further added a total of 964 Indian fishermen had been arrested by the Sri Lankan authorities since January 2014 and 927 had already been released.
However the Government yesterday refuted Mr. Singh’s claims saying that Colombo had not been officially informed on the matter.
“We have heard nothing from the Indian Government regarding this matter and therefore the Government’s earlier anti-poaching position remains unchanged,” Deputy Foreign Minister Ajith Perera said.
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told the Sunday Times that foreign intruders into the country’s territorial waters will continue to be apprehended and that there is no change in this position.
However he denied that the Navy had been instructed to fire upon the intruders but only to use persuasive tactics in a bid to discourage the poachers.
Discussions between Sri Lankan and Indian fishermen were held in Chennai last month in a bid to reach a solution to the festering crisis in the Palk Strait but so far there is has been little or no success as the poaching continues.
Meanwhile, Tamil Manila Congress (TMC) president G.K. Vasan has said ‘threats and advices’ would not help find a lasting solution to the vexatious issue and expressed disappointment at the position taken by Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Talking to reporters on Friday, Mr. Vasan regretted that no tangible solution was in sight for the Palk bay conflict, even after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka, and despite three rounds of talks between the fishermen of the two countries.
“When the fishermen were looking for a positive signal from Sri Lanka’s Tamil fishermen, after the third round of talks held in Chennai on April 24, the Sri Lanka Government hardened its stand, warning that its Navy would arrest fishermen poaching in their waters,” he said.
”When a delegation of fishermen leaders met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Delhi recently, with high hopes of arriving at a solution, Ms. Swaraj disappointed them by advising not to cross the IMBL and avoid conflicts with Sri Lanka.