Fishing boats to leave Nagapatinam for Trincomalee Sunday

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 September 2003, 20:52 GMT]
Sixty one fishing crafts of Tamil fishermen of Trincomalee, being kept in the custody of Indian customs since 1990, will leave Nagapatinam port in Tamilnadu in South India Sunday to Trincomalee and the boats are expected to arrive in Trincomalee Monday or Tuesday, said the North East Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Social Welfare Ministry Secretary, Mr.S.Sivathasan, sources said.

According to a report received from Chennai, 12 Indian trawlers with a 62 men crew will tow these boats to Trincomalee from Nagapatinam, escorted by Indian naval coast guard vessels up to Sri Lankan territorial waters and from there to Trincomalee harbour by Sri Lanka navy vessels, sources said

About 22 Trincomalee fishermen have gone to India to accompany their crafts to Trincomalee. Another 30 Trincomalee fishermen now staying in refugee camps in Tamilnadu will accompany their crafts to Trincomalee, sources said.

Hundreds of Tamil fishermen in Trincomalee with their families fled to Tamilnadu in their fishing crafts to save their lives when Sri Lanka Army unleashed violence against Tamils in the eastern port town in 1990, sources said.

The Tamil fishermen sought refuge at Nagapatinam in Tamilnadu. Some years later they sought permission from Indian customs to take their boats back to Sri Lanka. When the Indian customs refused permission, a group of fishermen who sought refuge in Tamilnadu brought their families back to Trincomalee, leaving their crafts at Nagapatinam in the custody of Indian customs. Another batch of Trincomalee fishermen have stayed in Tamilnadu refugee camps, sources said.