Canicius Fernando killing condemned

The All Ceylon Federation of Fishermen’s Unions (ACFFU) in a statement issued yesterday has condemned the killing of Migrant Fishermen’s Representative Canicius Fernando at the hands of a prison officer at the Madurai Central Prison in India.

It requested the Government to ensure justice is done as regards this unfortunate incident. The Federation has also called upon this Government to take suitable action to protect the lives of fishermen going out to sea so that such untoward incidents would not happen in the future.

The statement said there are frequent incidents of fishermen from India and Sri Lanka trespassing into each others’ terrirotial waters due to the close proximity of the two maritime boundaries.

A large number of Sri Lankan Fishermen have been taken into custody in this past by India on account of this. It was the duty of the Government to intervene without delay and settle problems on behalf of Sri Lankan Fishermen in such eventualities.

Had the government intervened without delay in this instance Canicus Fernando would not have met this tragic death, it says.