Tension prevails in Naayaa'ru, intruding Sinhala fishers set fire to fishing huts of Tamils

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 August 2018, 22:32 GMT]
Sinhala fishers from South, who are occupying the coast of Naayaa'ru in Mullaiththeevu district have set fire to eight fishing huts Monday night around 11:30 p.m. causing destruction to millions of rupees worth fishing equipment, including three boat engines and fishing nets of Eezham Tamils. The coordinated attack comes one day after SL Fisheries Minister visited the protesting Tamil fisher associations in Mullaiththeevu and promised to revoke the fishing licences provided to fishers from external districts to engage in fishing along the coast of Mullaiththeevu. Despite the promise from the SL Minister, Sinhala poachers continued to engage in diving using lights on Monday, and the Tamil fishermen blocked them.

The assault on the huts of Tamil fishers seems to have been carried out with the backing of SL Navy, initial reports said.

SL Military and Police have been deployed in large numbers.

Tension prevails as Tamil fishers were mobilising to defend themselves.

Tamil fisher associations have been agitating against the SL Department of Fisheries since 02 August.



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