JVP Trincomalee parliamentarian protests against fishing ban

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 June 2008, 14:29 GMT]
Trincomalee district parliamentarian of the Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Jayantha Wijesekara while participating in the emergency debate in parliament on Thursday said that people of Trincomalee district had a better life under the control of LTTE than under the rule of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. If the present fishing ban continues, the LTTE would draw popular support among the rural people for armed struggle, he warned.

Mr. Wijesekara further said during the eastern provincial council electioneering fishing was allowed in Trincomalee Sea from two in the morning till evening.

After the election, the fishing has been restricted from 6:00 a.m. till 6:00 p.m. Fishermen of Tamil and Muslim communities have been undergoing immense difficulties in running their day to day live.

Highlighting the difficulties of fishermen, he further said that some fisher families have been selling their household goods to raise money for their survival.

Some Tamil fisher families have been fleeing to India.

People are being sheltered in camps and welfare centres as refugees, parliamentary sources quoted Mr.Wijesekara as saying.