Sri Lankan officials to recover seized boats

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 June 2000, 05:14 GMT]
A three member team of Sri Lankan government officials will leave to Madras, India on Wednesday to take over all boats and engines seized by the Indian authorities from Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, during the period between 1990-1991.

The members of the team are: Mr.S.Sriskandarajah, Provincial Director of Fisheries,Commodore W.Mohotti of Sri Lanka Navy, and Mr.D.Surasena, Assistant Marine Engineer.

A large number of Tamils from the north-eastern province fled from Sri Lanka in fishing boats and sought refuge in South India when fighting escalated in June 1990. The South Indian authorities seized their boats with engines and gave accommodation to the refugees in welfare camps.

In 1995 Sri Lankan authorities made an unsuccessful attempt to recover about 200 seized boats and engines from the Indian authorities.Now both governments have come to an agreement in this regard.