Lanka wants Indian probe

By Indika Sri Aravinda


The Sri Lankan government wants India to carry out a comprehensive probe on the death of two Sri Lankan fishermen last December after they had crossed into Indian waters and were involved in a standoff with the Indian coast guard.

Sri Lanka’s new fisheries Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratna, speaking to Daily Mirror online, said that he hopes to discuss the issue with Indian authorities as there was a suspicion the two fishermen may have been killed during the standoff and a report was sought from India over the incident.

The fishermen had reportedly forcibly taken the weapons of the Coast Guard members and held them hostage last December. Seven boats with Sri Lankan fishermen had entered Indian waters last December and were surrounded by the Indian Coast Guard, when the incident took place.

When two Coast Guard members boarded one boat the Sri Lankan fishermen on it had forcibly taken the weapons of the Indians and held them hostage.

Indian Coast Guard reinforcements later surrounded the Sri Lankan fishing boats and managed to arrest the fishermen onboard the other boats. Two Sri Lankan fishermen were however later reported missing and were believed dead. (Daily Mirror online)