Sri Lanka Navy denies shooting Indian fisherman  

[Tuesday, February 12, 2008 - 06.40 GMT]

Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) categorically and unequivocally denies the allegations made by certain indiscriminate sections of media of Sri Lanka Navy’s involvement in the killing of an Indian fisherman on Saturday night, said a statement issued by the Sri Lankan Navy yesterday (11).

“Sri Lanka Navy exercises utmost care not to cross the International Maritime Boundary Line between Sri Lankan and Indian territorial waters while conducting patrolling and maritime surveillance to prevent LTTE arms smuggling and infiltration across the Gulf of Mannar and the Polk Bay,” it added.

The statement also drew attention to the recent incident where the  Sri Lanka Navy did not open retaliatory fire when the persons yet to be identified on board two Indian fishing trawlers fired on one of SLN fibre glass boats in the seas off Talaimannar on the February 4, 2008. Then SLN boats did not retaliate in order to avoid other Indian fishing boats being hit in the cross fire. “This was only one occasion of many where Sri Lanka Navy exercised utmost restraint not to fall prey to the LTTE’s ploy of using Indian fishing boats in creating a rift between the two countries,” the SLN statement said.

Meanwhile Mr. P. M. Amza, Deputy High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in Chennai told PRIU that 161 Tamil Nadu fishermen have poached into the High Security Zone of Sri Lanka during the past one and half years. 

“The Indian fishermen are poaching in High Security Area, which is even banned for the Sri Lankan fishermen,” the Deputy High Commissioner added. 

As terrorist threats to Sri Lanka's security looms large from the sea, Sri Lankan government is forces to take required actions to protect its sovereignty, he pointed out.

This was also reported in an interview on “BBC Tamizhosai” on February 10.