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SL Navy did not fire at Indian fishermen: Commander

13 March 2017 12:42 am - 17     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne yesterday denied allegations by Indian fishermen that the Sri Lanka Navy had opened fire on Indian fishing vessels recently.

After attending the Feast of St. Anthony's Sacred Church located on Kachchativu Island, he responded to a question raised by a journalist as to why there had been no Indian presence at the annual Feast saying “Indian fishermen had boycotted the feast due to an incident where they claimed that the SL Navy had fired at an Indian fishing boat in Sri Lankan waters, which is totally false”.

Mr. Wijegunaratne said that even for a warning shot is fired at a boat it has to be to receive the approval of the Navy Commander. “I never authorised such a thing. We don’t need to fire at them. If foreign fishermen are captured in Sri Lankan waters, the protocol is to arrest them and produce them before courts. With the technology available, any Navy officer can contact me directly. However, there is an ongoing inquiry about the incident being conducted by the Navy Deputy Chief of Staff,” he said.

Mr. Wijegunaratne said that the information of the location where the boat was at when the incident took place has been requested from the Indian side but to date this information has not reached us.

“We have requested the GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates’ of the boat when it was shot at. Thereafter we can conduct further investigations based on data in our radar system. We hope that the Indian Coast Guard would give us that information soon,” he said.

The Navy Commander said that the SL Navy is presently maintaining a close relationship with the Indian Navy. He said if the shooting did take place it should have been reported to the Indian Navy and they should report it to our Navy immediately.

This year’s feast marked the first of its kind conducted upon the completion of the new church by the Sri Lanka Navy and Mass was conducted by Bishop of Jaffna, His Lordship Rt. Revd. Dr. Justin Bernard Gnanapragasam.

The Feast was attended by the Vicar General of the Diocese of Jaffna, Very Revd. Fr. Pathinathar Josephthas Jebaratnam, District Secretary of Jaffna, Mr. N.Vethanayahan, Commander of the Security Forces in Jaffna, Major General Mahesh Senanayake, Commander Northern Naval Area, Rear Admiral Piyal De Silva, Jaffna Deputy Inspector General of Police Sanjeewa Dharmaratne, senior officers and a large number of fishermen. Sri Lankan Catholic devotees as well as a large number of religious dignitaries including Rev. Sisters were in attendance. (Romesh Madusanka and Thilanka Kanakarathna)

 

 

Video by Romesh Madushanka


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  Comments - 17

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  • S.P.RAMKUMAR Monday, 13 March 2017 09:38 AM

    Sir, Please do impartial inquiry and give report to President, Your statement is too early. Also Every area police have to call fishermen and check their mobile phone calls. because heroin dealers also can shoot. this incident may accelerate big disaster because BJP want to get more support from Tamil Nadu people.

    VJ Monday, 13 March 2017 06:24 PM

    What if the investigation proves otherwise?

    JO Supporter 2 Monday, 13 March 2017 05:02 PM

    Actually he was killed by some aliens fir killing fish. Tamil Diaspora is spreading this false news to mudsling on our brave war heroes via DM Android App

    Burt Monday, 13 March 2017 11:35 AM

    I wrote what first came to my mind then read the posts and realised that no one even in Sri Lanka believes him so how does he believe any one in TN to believe.

    BuffaloaCitizen Monday, 13 March 2017 11:09 AM

    Janith, if the State had behaved in action as "Sri Lankan" then a lot of abuse of what RAJ stated would not have happened. The LTTE was Tamil, but all Tamils were not LTTE, however the State twisted and considered all Tamils as LTTE unless you can prove otherwise.... the war was fought on that basis, thus the causalities were extremely high. Next is the denial which goes with the shame of doing something wrong and caught red handed. We Sinhalese shud build the capacity to admit wrong, only then we can have a Sri Lankan identity, until then we will always be divided suspicious ethnic groups.

    janith Monday, 13 March 2017 10:30 AM

    I'm confused. when you say Sri Lanka denies everything, did you know that 'Sri Lanka' represent all sinhalese, tamils, muslims, burgher etc.?.. so are you saying all of these demographics were on a war with Tamils?. This is bit of a hypocrisy right. when one wants to say they were mistreated, they call themselves Tamils (in this conflict); but when we talk about terrorism, the same person wants to move away from it and call themselves 'Sri Lankan'.

    BuffaloaCitizen Monday, 13 March 2017 10:30 AM

    Did u have breakfast with the JO, they have nothing to sell in their shop other than threats, patriotism, sovereignty etc...which nobody buys these days.

    tishan Monday, 13 March 2017 10:01 AM

    I didnt attack the journalist.We didnt shoot fishermen.

    JO Supporter Monday, 13 March 2017 09:59 AM

    Tamil LTTE/GTF shills always first to comments with their false narrative. They are a threat to our sovereignty and maritime boarders

    GT Monday, 13 March 2017 01:47 AM

    Says the guy who assaults journalists and oppresses the freedom of the media in public and on camera.

    johan Monday, 13 March 2017 09:12 AM

    You were not in the scene.Then how you are correctly defending your subordinates.In your capacity before lying get the correct picture of the incident as this should not be like the Hambantota cameraman asault

    BuffaloaCitizen Monday, 13 March 2017 08:50 AM

    Then how come the "white van one way travel service" existed for so long without your approval?

    Dr.Watson Monday, 13 March 2017 08:13 AM

    Yes Sir. The gun went off on its own. This is usual. Sometime your limbs too can go off without know at to have they go off. Nice.

    ANTON Monday, 13 March 2017 07:25 AM

    LIES ARE LIKE ACID, ACID DISSOLVE RUST, LIES DISSOLVE TRUST. - ....ANTON

    ANTON Monday, 13 March 2017 07:21 AM

    THEN WHO SHOT THEM ? SHARKS OR WHALES IN SRILANKAN WATERS ?

    ravin Monday, 13 March 2017 06:21 AM

    People who can think far know what was going on. This incident may be a cheap political gimmick by our counter parts.

    raj Monday, 13 March 2017 03:00 AM

    Sri Lanka deserves to have Nobel prize for highest level denials. - Sri Lanka denies war crime charges- Sri Lanka denies discriminations against Tamils- Sri Lanka denies shelling on hospitals or civilians target during the war- Sri Lanka denies accusation of forced disappearance of Tamils during the war- Sri Lanka denies it has torture camp or it practices tortures


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