Recent Attack on Sri Lankan Fishermen near SL-Indian Fishing Border! What we know so far…

දිනපතාසත්‍යකරුණු දැනගැනීමටඅපගේWhatsApp චැනලයටමෙතනින් එකතුවන්න.

Recently, a disturbing incident was reported near the Indo-Sri Lanka fishing border, in which a group allegedly attacked a group of Sri Lankan fishermen. The fishermen said the attack was carried out by Indian Coast Guard and Navy officials. However, the Indian High Commission in Colombo rejected the allegations. Let’s look deeper into the events that transpired.

Social Media Posts:

Viral social media posts claimed that a group of Sri Lankan fishermen were subjected to a violent attack by Indian Coast Guard officials. These posts say that Sri Lankan fishermen on two boats, returning from sea off Wannipuwa, were subjected to this attack.

Facebook | Archived Link

We looked at different perspectives on this incident.

Explainer:

News reports from all major Sri Lankan media outlets reported on an attack on a group of our fishermen at sea. According to these reports, three boats carrying 18 fishermen left from the Wennappuwa Welmannkaree fishing harbour on December 3. On January 29^th, fishermen on two of these boats, who were returning from fishing, were attacked by an unknown group. The fishermen on the third boat were attacked on January 30^th. After the attacks, the injured fishermen were quickly brought ashore and hospitalised, according to media reports on 2^nd February. The reports also stated that a Navy ship had been sent to bring back the fishermen from the other boat.

Meanwhile, the fishermen who were hospitalised after the attacks told the media that a Navy ship had arrived and ordered them to stop their boats. They said a small boat with the Indian flag later approached them to carry out the attack. One fisherman said, however, that some among the attackers spoke in Sinhala. Another said the attackers asked if the fishermen were carrying drugs in their boats before attacking them. A third fisherman on the boat said that, due to poor visibility, he was not seriously injured, but the attackers struck the other fishermen severely. BBC News reported the incident with photos of the injured fishermen this way. 

Local Reports 

Meanwhile, our reporter said that the fishermen on two boats, ‘Dinithi Duwa-1’ and Dinithi Duwa-2, were attacked on January 29. Our reporter further said that the ‘Sandun Putha’ fishing boat was attacked on December 30 in international waters near the Diego Garcia Islands. They confirmed that the fishermen were attacked violently by a group. The reporter further stated that the fishermen claim the attack was carried out by Indian security forces.

“Fishermen were brutally attacked” – Fisheries Minister

After the intervention of the Sri Lanka Navy, the injured fishermen were brought ashore on the morning of February 4 and admitted to Colombo National Hospital. The Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekaran’s media team said that he visited Colombo National Hospital that day to check on the condition of the fishermen.

After checking on their condition, the minister said that the way the fishermen were attacked was very brutal. He added that the fishermen accused a group of Indians of carrying out the attack. However, the Indian government has stated that its officials were not involved. 

The minister said that if another group used Indian names, flags, and language to commit this crime, it would be a disgrace to India and a serious threat to the fishing community. 

He also said that the Indian High Commissioner has been informed, and a request has been made at the government level to carry out a fair and transparent investigation. The minister added that the Fisheries Ministry will continue to protect the fishing community and provide all necessary support and assistance to the affected fishermen.

Response from the Multi-Day Vessel Owners’ Association

Meanwhile, we contacted Ruwan Fernando, Secretary of the Multi-Day Vessel Owners’ Association, regarding the attack on Sri Lankan fishermen in international waters. The secretary said that the fishermen were attacked while returning to Sri Lanka from the Arabian Sea after completing their fishing activities. He added that a group dressed in black stopped the fishing boats and attacked the fishermen very brutally. According to the fishermen, the attackers were from India, the secretary said. All the injured fishermen who received treatment have now been discharged from hospitals. The secretary also said that the association has requested the authorities to conduct a proper investigation into the incident. 

India rejects the allegations.

Allegations that the Indian Navy or Coast Guard attacked Sri Lankan fishermen have been rejected by India. The High Commission of India’s office in Colombo issued a statement confirming that Indian officials were not behind the attack on the Sri Lankan fishermen. The spokesperson of the High Commissioner’s office further stated that India continues to follow a humanitarian approach regarding the lives and safety of fishermen and will not use force under any circumstances.

Response from the Sri Lankan Navy

We inquired with Commander Buddhika Sampath, the media spokesperson of the Sri Lankan Navy, regarding the reported attack on Sri Lankan fishermen while they were at sea. The spokesperson stated that, upon notification, the Navy intervened and brought the affected fishermen ashore for medical treatment.

He further explained that the Navy provides technical assistance for investigations of any emergencies, accidents, or illnesses that occur at sea. He also confirmed that whenever such incidents are reported, the Navy conducts its own investigation.

Accordingly, it is evident that some Sri Lankan fishermen, while on their way out for fishing and returning, were subjected to an attack. The fishermen claim that the attackers were from India. However, India denies these allegations, and the Indian High Commission has stated that it can confirm that neither the Indian Navy nor the Coast Guard carried out such an attack.

 Join us to learn about our fact-checking investigations.

Facebook| Twitter| Instagram| Google News| TikTok| YouTube