Sri Lankan navy arrested ‘good Samaritans’ from Tamil Nadu: MP

CHENNAI: Mayiladuthurai MP R Sudha has urged Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to order the release of Tamil Nadu fishermen who were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy on charges of fishing in the territorial waters of the island nation. Sudha urged him to order the release of the fishermen’s boats seized by the SL navy.
In a letter to Dissanayake, the MP said the Sri Lankan navy arrested 37 fishermen from Poompuhar, Chandirapadi, Vanagiri, Chinnamedu, and Madathukuppam in Mayiladuthurai parliamentary constituency, knowing fully well that they were all good Samaritans who had helped the Sri Lankan navy to retrieve the bodies of two Sri Lankan fishermen brothers who drowned in the sea as their boat capsized.
She said on Sept 21, a total of 43 fishermen from the Indian side in three boats alerted their Sri Lankan counterparts about the capsize of the Sri Lankan fishing boat and the death of two fishermen.
“Our kind-hearted men played good Samaritans, retrieved the bodies and helped the authorities take the mortal remains back to their grieving families in an honourable condition. When this tragic episode ended peacefully, who would have expected Sri Lankan naval personnel to come back to unleash untold and unprovoked atrocity on our good Samaritan fishermen and arrest them illegally, violating every clause in international covenants and bilateral treaties?” she said.
Six of the 43 fishermen managed to escape from the scene in a fibre boat, but the remaining 37 were arrested and their boats were seized by the SL navy.She said as of August 1, 2024, a total of 80 fishermen (excluding those from the Mayiladuthurai parliamentary constituency) and 173 fishing boats belonging to Indian fishermen were under the custody of Sri Lanka.
“India shares maritime boundaries with several nations, including such a belligerent neighbour like Pakistan. But, no country arrests, fines, damages, attacks and kills fishermen from neighbouring countries so regularly as Sri Lanka does. The provocations come from the Sri Lankan side far too regularly, testing the patience and peace in the region. Fishermen cannot be treated like criminals for fishing in common waters like the Bay of Bengal,” she said.