No laws breached in arrival of Indian fishermen’s relatives, Navy clarifies
April 10, 2011 05:23 pm
Certain media describing the arrival of the several Indians in order to identify the body of an Indian fisherman as breaching immigration and emigration laws is highly inappropriate, says Navy Spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya.
While the Sri Lanka Navy, according to information received from the Indian High Commissions in Sri Lanka, had deployed search missions for an Indian a fishing vessel that had disappeared after setting sail from Rameshwaram, a body was discovered west from Delft Island on April 06, the spokesman explained.
As the body was suspected of being one of the missing Indian fishermen the relevant Indian authorities were informed in this regard and subsequently several relatives of the deceased had arrived yesterday (April 09) in Jaffna to identify the body, he said.
“Certain weekend newspapers had described this as breaching of immigration and emigration laws.”
Speaking to Ada Derana Commander Warnakulasuriya stressed that considering this as an emergency situation and following traditional method of resolving Indo-Lanka fishermen issues, both countries agreed to grant permission for the relatives to arrive in Jaffna through the sea route so they can identify the body.
“The Sri Lanka Navy on April 09 took over six relatives of the crew members from the Indian Coast Guard vessel at the International Maritime Boundary Line and transferred them to Jaffna also in liaison with the Sri Lanka Police and the Consulate of India in Jaffna, to facilitate positive identification of the dead body and for subsequent formalities and last rights.”
At no time did the Indian Coast Guard vessel enter the Sri Lankan waters and the arrangements by the Sri Lankan authorities were made as a humanitarian gesture.
Hence the Sri Lanka Navy is of the opinion that this incident of humanitarian assistance arranged by both Governments should not have been given the interpretation of a case of violating the country’s immigration laws, the spokesman further emphasized.
While the Sri Lanka Navy, according to information received from the Indian High Commissions in Sri Lanka, had deployed search missions for an Indian a fishing vessel that had disappeared after setting sail from Rameshwaram, a body was discovered west from Delft Island on April 06, the spokesman explained.
As the body was suspected of being one of the missing Indian fishermen the relevant Indian authorities were informed in this regard and subsequently several relatives of the deceased had arrived yesterday (April 09) in Jaffna to identify the body, he said.
“Certain weekend newspapers had described this as breaching of immigration and emigration laws.”
Speaking to Ada Derana Commander Warnakulasuriya stressed that considering this as an emergency situation and following traditional method of resolving Indo-Lanka fishermen issues, both countries agreed to grant permission for the relatives to arrive in Jaffna through the sea route so they can identify the body.
“The Sri Lanka Navy on April 09 took over six relatives of the crew members from the Indian Coast Guard vessel at the International Maritime Boundary Line and transferred them to Jaffna also in liaison with the Sri Lanka Police and the Consulate of India in Jaffna, to facilitate positive identification of the dead body and for subsequent formalities and last rights.”
At no time did the Indian Coast Guard vessel enter the Sri Lankan waters and the arrangements by the Sri Lankan authorities were made as a humanitarian gesture.
Hence the Sri Lanka Navy is of the opinion that this incident of humanitarian assistance arranged by both Governments should not have been given the interpretation of a case of violating the country’s immigration laws, the spokesman further emphasized.