At least 43 Indian fishermen and 6 boats have been held under the custody of the Sri Lankan Navy, in the latest of a series of alleged attacks and arrests on Indian fishermen.
The arrest follows growing allegations of attacks by the Sri Lankan Navy, evoking strong protests in Tamil Nadu. The Sri Lankan Navy though has denied all such claims that it has been behind these attacks.
In a statement on its website, the Navy declared,
"Sri Lanka Navy expresses deep concerns over the malicious allegations repeatedly accusing the navy of harassing Indian fishermen,"
The attacks come just days after India’s Foreign minister S.M. Krishna returned from a visit to Sri Lanka, where he claimed to have raised the “emotive issue” of fishing in the Palk Strait, stating,
"As we explore possible solutions, we must ensure that there is no use of force against the fishermen and that they are treated in a humane manner."
See our earlier post: Lapping it up (25 Jan 2012)
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