Chennai, Aug 9 (UNI) PMK President and Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss strongly condemned the arrest of 32 fishermen from Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan Navy on Thursday
night.
In a statement here on Friday, Dr Anbumani, who is also the former Union Minister, said the Sinhalese Navy has arrested 32 fishermen from Tamil Nadu who went to the Bay of Bengal from Pamban area of ​​Ramanathapuram district for fishing and their four country boats have also been impounded.
This series of transgressions by the Sinhalese Navy is highly condemnable, he said.
He said TN fishermen have been going to the Bay of Bengal for fishing only since the end of the fishing ban on June 16. The arrest of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sinhalese navy is increasing
this year, unlike in the last few years.
While 13 of the already arrested fishermen were released yesterday, the Sinhalese Navy arrested
32 fishermen in the next few hours.
The Lankan Navy has arrested 109 Tamil Nadu fishermen in the last 50 days alone. Only 52 of them
have been released and the remaining 57 are in Sri Lankan jails, he pointed out.
Among the arrested fishermen, the three boat drivers have been fined Rs.40 lakh each by the
Sri Lankan court; If the fine is not paid immediately, it has been ordered to undergo one year imprisonment.
Dr Anbumani said 12 fishermen who have already been arrested for the second time and the third time have been sentenced to prison terms of 6 months to one year. Sri Lanka is using such tactics
to deprive Tamil Nadu fishermen of their livelihoods.
This action of the Sri Lankan government is against international norms. The sea between Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu is very narrow. Therefore Tamil Nadu fishermen cannot avoid entering Sri Lankan waters and Sri Lankan fishermen enter Indian waters.
In such an environment, India should teach a stern lesson to the Sinhalese Navy, which is engaging in continuous violations by arresting Tamil Nadu fishermen.
Apart from that, the central and state governments should take steps to find a permanent solution to the fishermen problem by holding talks with the Sri Lankan government,
he said.
UNI GV 1542