The Sri Lankan government said it would release 16 arrested Indian fishermen on Monday, ahead of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's first foreign visit to India.
The fishermen, from Rameswaram, were reportedly apprehended by the Sri Lankan navy near Delft Island and towed to the Jaffna coast earlier this month. The arrest sparked a protest with approximately 50,000 Indian fishermen launching a strike demanding the Sri Lankan government release their arrested colleagues.
However Sri Lankan Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said,
“The released is not related to the PM’s visit to India. The process to release the Indian fishermen has been taking place several times and this is just one of them.”
Earlier this year Mr Wicremesinghe defended the Sri Lankan navy's shooting of fishermen, stating: "If someone tries to break into my house, I can shoot. If he gets killed...Law allows me to do that.”
After criticism from India and Tamil parties, the prime minister repeated his comments.
"The Lankan navy has the right to shoot in any part of the country if anyone enters territorial waters, this is nothing new," Mr Wickremasinghe said a week after the initial comments.
See related articles:
Ranil was only ‘joking’ when he spoke of shooting Indian fishermen – Chandrika (17 Apr 2015)
Sri Lanka PM reiterates navy can shoot Indian fishermen in its waters (16 March 2015)
Indian parliament expresses outrage over Sri Lankan PM defending shooting of fishermen (09 March 2015)
Also see:
Indian fishermen strike demanding Sri Lanka release arrested men (05 Sep 2015)
Sri Lankan navy arrest 16 Indian fishermen (01 Sep 2015)
12 Tamil Nadu fishermen attacked by Sri Lankan navy (25 Aug 2015)
India criticises Sri Lanka’s ‘use of force’ against Tamil Nadu fishermen (24 Jun 2015)
Sri Lanka PM reiterates navy can shoot Indian fishermen in its waters (16 March 2015)
Indian parliament expresses outrage over Sri Lankan PM defending shooting of fishermen (09 March 2015)
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