Lankan Navy arrests 34 TN fishermen

“He has failed to persuade the Sri Lankan government for an worldwide inquiry” However, he failed to persuade the Sri Lankan government for an global inquiry and had ignored the pleas of various political parties in Tamil Nadu.

Talking to the New Indian Express, Ilango said that the NFF, along with other representatives of fishermen on coastal regions, will approach the Central government to pursue, through diplomatic channels, and prevail upon Sri Lanka not to go ahead with the move.

Summary: However, the then Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, had declined to accept the demand.

War crimes are prohibited by the Geneva Conventions, of which Sri Lanka is a signatory.

Rameswaram fishermen launched a hunger strike on Saturday demanding the release of the fishers and boats from the Sri Lankan custody.

The thirty-nine trawlers confiscated by the Sri Lankan Navy while arresting the fishermen from Ramanathapuram, Tuticorin, Nagapattinam and Pudukottai districts during September-October faced the danger of getting damaged as the north-east monsoon is around the corner, he said.

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe to treat the issue of fishermen as a humanitarian matter. They called off the strike after assurance from the Tamil Nadu government about Centre’s promise on releasing the fishers.

The government has also appointed an advisory board to formulate recommendations to solve the crisis of illegal poaching by the Indians.