2ND LEAD (Adds details)

SLA disallows spouses to meet detained fishermen

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 March 2006, 00:58 GMT]
Sri Lanka security forces refused permission for spouses of three of the five fishermen who were arrested while fishing in seas of Kodiyadi off the coast of Munai, Pt.Pedro on 22 March to see their sons Thursday, legal sources from Jaffna said. The fishermen were accused by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) of engaging in smuggling arms for Liberation Tigers, and are being kept at a detainment facility in Kankesanturai (KKS) with permission from the Secretary of the Defense Ministry.

Four of the five arrested fishermen are from Chinabay in Trincomalee area. Vasantharani, 44, wife of Veerasingam Manoharan, Loudes Mary, 61, wife of Muthuvel Sriskandarajah, and Navamalar, 49, wife of Arunachalam David have travelled from Trincomalee hoping to visit their husbands.

Despite the efforts made by attorney at the Jaffna Human Rights Commission to facilitate spouses to see their husbands, they failed to obtain permission and have decided to stay in Jaffna temporarily, sources said.

Legal sources in Jaffna said, Mr Remedius is preparing documents for filing a petition for a writ of habeas corpus so that the detained fishermen are brought to Point Pedro courts. However, the required papers have not been submitted to the Point Pedro courts till Thursday evening.