Foreign Ministry denies media reports

COLOMBO: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release issued yesterday referring to media reports on the Sri Lanka Navy firing at Indian fishermen, categorically denied any involvement of the Sri Lanka Navy in the reported incidents.

The Government of Sri Lanka wishes to categorically state that the Sri Lanka Navy has no involvement whatsoever with any of the reported incidents, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The full text of the press release:

The attention of the Government of Sri Lanka has been drawn to recent reports of incidents of firing allegedly by Sri Lanka Navy resulting in serious injury or even death, to Indian fishermen.

At least four of these reports concern incidents claimed to have taken place on the Indian side of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) demarcating the waters between the two nations.

The alleged incident on 10 March 2007 in the general area South West of Kachchativu Island is reported to have caused death to an Indian fisherman.

The Government of Sri Lanka wishes to state categorically that the Sri Lanka Navy has no involvement whatsoever with any of the reported incidents.

The Sri Lanka Navy would not under any circumstances infringe into Indian territorial waters by crossing the IMBL. Moreover the Navy equips its vessels with the most up-to date navigational aids, thereby absolutely precluding erroneous and inadvertent crossing.

The Sri Lankan Navy Headquarters has also carried out an immediate and through inquiry concerning the reports.

The finding are that no vessel of the Sri Lanka Navy was operated in the vicinity of Kachchativu Island, at the time of the incidents alleged to have taken place on 10 March 2007.

The Government of Sri Lanka has specifically instructed the Sri Lanka Navy not to use strict and harsh measures to prevent illegal fishing in the Sri Lankan waters by Indian fishermen.

Therefore, Sri Lanka Navy always strives to help the Indian fishermen when in time of need, despite the fact that they enter the Sri Lanka waters for poaching.

Sri Lanka Navy at times renders necessary assistance for recovery and repairs to their vessels where necessary, provides food and water, and escorts them to the IMBL once the bona fides are established.

Recent incidents such as assistance to the Indian trawler RMS 94 on 25th October 2006 off Karainagar and similar help on 24th November 2006 to an Indian fishing boat in distress off Thondimannnar, are examples of such cases.

In view of the above circumstances, it is reasonable to assume that the reports are being instigated by the LTTE with a vested interest in attempting to damage the strong bilateral relationship between India and Sri Lanka.

It is widely known that the LTTE has been engaged in the practice of attacking Indian fishing trawlers with the sole aim of discrediting the Sri Lanka Navy.

In the month of November last year, an Indian fisherman who was rescued by Sri Lanka Navy claimed that the Indian fishermen were forced frequently by the LTTE to engage in arms smuggling while fishing in the Indian waters.

Furthermore, it is noted that the increase of allegations of attacks on Indian fishermen come at a time when Indian and Tamil Nadu authorities are taking steps to curb the arms smuggling networks of the LTTE.

The Government of Sri Lanka has proposed to the Indian authorities its willingness to work out an arrangement with the Indian side to jointly monitor the IMBL on either side as well as share Information regarding the movement of Indian fishermen.

In addition, the Government of Sri Lanka has also indicated its willingness to send a team to India to cooperate in the investigation of the allegations raised by Indian fishermen.