Indian fishermen to be freed soon - Sri Lanka
June 23, 2011 01:28 pm
Sri Lanka has said it will soon release the 23 Indian fishermen taking into custody for fishing in Sri Lankan waters. “Following the due process of the law, they are expected to be released at an early date,” the Sri Lankan high commission in India said in a statement.
“The fishermen are being treated in a humane manner, respecting their dignity. “The relevant authorities in Sri Lanka expect
to repatriate the fishermen and the boats as soon as the judicial process is
completed.”
The fishermen from Tamil Nadu were caught June 20 while allegedly engaged in
trawling in Sri Lankan territorial waters, the statement said. Their vessels
were also detained.
It said the incident occurred close to Mannar, off the Pesalai coast, just six
nautical miles away from the Sri Lankan shores.
The arrests were not made near the island of Kachchativu, which has become a
bone of contention between Tamil Nadu authorities and Colombo, it said.
The Sri Lankan Navy was quoted as saying that although Global Positioning
Systems were installed in the trawlers, the fishermen were in the Sri Lankan
waters, IANS reports.