Protesters in Colombo urge Indian Government to halt SSCP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 August 2005, 07:04 GMT]
The People's Movement Against the Sedusamudram Ship Canal Project staged a demonstration opposite the Indian High Commission in Colombo on Tuesday from noon till 1:00 p.m. The demostration was led by the movement's organiser Attorney-At-Law E. Thambiah with the participation over thousand protestors which he described as a gathering irrespective of ethnicity, religion and region. The anti Sedusamudram protestors urged the Indian Government to stop the project immediately as it created adverse impact on the shipping and the enviornmental aspects of Sri Lanka.

A memorandum was handed over to the Indian High Commission officials at the end of the demonstration. The memorandum urged the Government of India to halt the Sethusamuthram canal project which has been designed via the Palks straits.

The organisers of the protest further said that the project will damage the harbours in Colombo, Galle and Trincomalee as the many international shipping lines will operate through the Sedusamudram canal covering the South Indian harbours in Kerala and Tamil Nadu saving their time limits to cruise in the South East Asian waters.

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