India favours coordinated patrolling  
[Wednesday, May 30, 2007 - 6.45 GMT]   

India’s National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan has told the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi that India favours coordinated patrolling by India and Sri Lanka of the maritime boundary between the two countries to enhance security of Indian fishermen, said a news report appearing in The Hindu on Wednesday (30).

Narayanan was in Chennai to meet the Chief Minister on the latter’s request to hold discussions on the security of Tamil Nadu fishermen.

He is also scheduled to visit Chennai again tomorrow (31) for detailed discussion on the issue. Narayanan, however, told the journalists that coordinated patrolling requires the opinion of Sri Lanka too.
  
The LTTE had killed 5 Indian fishermen on March 29 and later kidnapped 12 fishermen and their fishing vessel in the high seas. Following exposure in Tamil Nadu, the LTTE later released 11 fishermen and the other was believed to be held in Maldives when its Coastguard sank the vessel off the coast of the Maldives while carrying weapons for the LTTE.
  
As noted by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs “there have over the years been increasingly heavy incursions by Indian fishing vessels across the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) into Sri Lanka waters. The monthly observations of crossings of the IMBL by Indian fishing vessels, amounts to not less that 5000. The LTTE uses the cover of the presence of these fishing vessels for their illicit activities, including launching attacks on naval and coastal units of the Sri Lanka Security Forces.”
  
A communiqué issued by the Sri Lankan Foreign affairs Ministry on May 12, 2007 said, “Practical proposals have also been presented concerning ways and means whereby the incursions could be contained, in the best interest of the two nations.”
  

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Last Updated Date: May 30, 2007 -6.45GMT