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Lanka to contact pirates

3 August 2010 08:12 am - 17     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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By Gandhya Senanayake


The Sri Lankan embassies in Kenya and Washington have been asked to obtain more information regarding the hijacking of a Panama flagged merchant vessel with Sri Lankans onboard by Somali pirates early yesterday, the External Affairs ministry said.

A spokesperson at the Ministry told Daily Mirror online that as Sri Lanka does not have a Mission in Somalia, the Embassy in Kenya had been asked to establish contact with the Somali pirates to seek the release of the Sri Lankans on board.

Meanwhile the Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington has also been asked to get in touch with the American company under which the Panama flagged merchant vessel was operating in order to gather more information about those on board, the External Affairs ministry said.

The exact number of Sri Lankans on board the vessel is still not known but the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) in Somalia had said yesterday that the ship had a 23 member crew from Egypt, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India.

The MV SUEZ was reportedly under small arms fire from the pirate attack and minutes later she reported pirates on board. After notification of the attack, attempts were made to make contact with the MV SUEZ but to no avail, EU NAVFOR said.

MV SUEZ was travelling in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) when attacked. Immediately after the first report a helicopter was directed to the ship but pirates had already taken over the command of the vessel. (Daily Mirror online)

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  Comments - 17

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  • Captain Tuesday, 03 August 2010 09:44 AM

    Misnistry officials of very high calibre are not truely interested in proper governance but about their own private business.

    suwimal Wednesday, 04 August 2010 06:38 AM

    Of course, it is a pirate vs pirate job!!

    Above the crowd Tuesday, 03 August 2010 04:21 PM

    How about starting the business our selves'We are no better than Somalia in certain ways.

    Tie a yellow ribbon on the old Mango Tree.......

    Lankan Lion Tuesday, 03 August 2010 03:18 PM

    Shall we go and whack Somalia? Where is our war mongers?

    Geronimo Tuesday, 03 August 2010 03:02 PM

    But the good Dr. is a coward who acts tough on innocent, unarmed citizens and that too he leaves it to his goons!!!

    Geronimo Tuesday, 03 August 2010 02:59 PM

    No way. This is a job for MR as he is good at it going by his recent interventions.

    FATHIMA Tuesday, 03 August 2010 01:24 PM

    No, if it was happand in Mullivaaikkal, the story is some thing diffrent.

    Practical Tuesday, 03 August 2010 11:44 AM

    Maybe they will also get to this business soon.

    roshan w Tuesday, 03 August 2010 10:43 AM

    Get Dr Mervyn Silva to intervine ,,

    sltk2004 Tuesday, 03 August 2010 08:34 AM

    This is a job for the navy and the special forces...

    MagodisThuma Tuesday, 03 August 2010 09:33 AM

    Only Sri Lanka Navy can solve this problem !.

    Ruki Tuesday, 03 August 2010 09:30 AM

    Who is going to tie Mervyn to a tree?

    saambrani Tuesday, 03 August 2010 09:23 AM

    Lanka to contact pirates, and to offer peanuts

    TMA Tuesday, 03 August 2010 09:17 AM

    Hey, we can find common ground. like we both hate the west

    Tharaka Chanaka Tuesday, 03 August 2010 09:13 AM

    Its high time MR makes a visit to Somalia....

    Calistus Jayatilleke Tuesday, 03 August 2010 09:05 AM

    A better option would be to send our Doctor Maravin with bundles of ropes to catch and tie the pirates to trees.

    Sammy Tuesday, 03 August 2010 08:43 AM

    Piracy has been rampant in recent times, yet no one seems to be interested in containing it. There should be international action taken to stop this, just like the ones taken to tackle terrorism.


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